Japanese symbol for “weep”
泣く
なく
Romaji: naku
to cry; to shed tears; to weep; to sob
In Japanese, weep is 泣く, 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; to shed tears; to weep; to sob
- v5k, vi to suffer (from); to be troubled (by); to face hardship
- v5k, vi to accept (an unreasonable request, loss, etc.); to do reluctantly; to make sacrifices
- v5k, vi to be not worth the name; to suffer (of a reputation); to be spoiled; to be put to shame
- v5k, vt to lament; to bemoan; to bewail
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “weep”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| しくしく泣く | しくしくなく shikushikunaku | to cry softly; to sob; to weep |
| 泣き入る | なきいる nakiiru | to burst into tears; to sob; to weep |
| 袂を絞る | たもとをしぼる tamotooshiboru | to shed many tears; to weep; to wring dry one's sleeve (which has been soaked by tears) |
| 枝垂れる | しだれる shidareru | to droop; to hang down; to weep |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 泣き | なき naki | weeping; lamenting |
| 号泣 | ごうきゅう goukyuu | crying loudly; bawling; wailing |
| 泣き声 | なきごえ nakigoe | cry (e.g. of a baby); sob; whine |
| 泣かせる | なかせる nakaseru | to make someone cry; to move someone to tears |
| 悔し泣き | くやしなき kuyashinaki | crying from vexation; tears of regret |
See also: Chinese symbol for “weep”.
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.