Japanese symbol for “wail”
哭く
なく
Romaji: naku
to cry (noisily); to wail; to sob
In Japanese, wail is 哭く, read なく (naku).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v5k, vi to cry (noisily); to wail; to sob
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “wail”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 泣き喚く | なきわめく nakiwameku | to wail; to bawl; to cry loudly |
| 泣き頻る | なきしきる nakishikiru | to wail; to cry; to sob bitterly |
| 泣き悲しむ | なきかなしむ nakikanashimu | to wail; to cry over; to bewail |
| 泣き立てる | なきたてる nakitateru | to wail; to cry loudly; to howl |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 慟哭 | どうこく doukoku | wailing; lamentation |
| 鬼哭 | きこく kikoku | wailings of a restless ghost; weeping voice of a departed soul |
| 哭声 | こくせい kokusei | wailing voice; (loud) crying voice |
| 哀哭 | あいこく aikoku | grief; mourning; lamentation |
See also: Chinese symbol for “wail”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.