なく (泣く・鳴く): To Cry (People vs Animals)
One sound, several kanji
When you hear naku, your ears can't tell which verb it is — that's why this pair is a classic JLPT test point. The spoken word is the same; the kanji splits the meaning:
- 泣く = a person sheds tears. Crying, weeping, sobbing — anything driven by emotion (sadness, joy, frustration).
- 鳴く = an animal "speaks" its natural sound. A dog barks, a cat meows, a bird chirps, a bug buzzes or chirps.
Here's the simple rule to lock in now: if it has tears, it's 泣く; if it's an animal making its voice, it's 鳴く. A baby crying is 泣く. A puppy whining is 鳴く. Get that distinction and you've handled 95% of how this word appears.
Both share the same right-hand side, but the left tells the story: 泣 has the water radical (氵) — think tears. 鳴 combines mouth (口) and bird (鳥) — an animal's voice.
The meanings, most common first
1. To cry / weep — a person (泣く)
赤ちゃんが大きな声で泣いている。
あかちゃんが おおきな こえで ないて いる。
The baby is crying loudly.
赤ちゃん (baby) is a person, so it's 泣く — with tears.
2. To burst into tears / end up crying (泣いてしまう)
モチは映画を見て泣いてしまった。
モチは えいがを みて ないて しまった。
Mochi ended up crying watching the movie.
～てしまう adds the nuance of 'couldn't help it' — a very natural pairing with 泣く.
3. To cry tears of joy (うれし泣き)
先生は弟の手紙を読んでうれし泣きした。
せんせいは おとうとの てがみを よんで うれしなきした。
Sensei cried tears of joy reading the younger brother's letter.
うれし泣き = 'happy crying.' 泣く isn't only for sadness — joy and frustration count too.
4. An animal / bird / insect cries or sounds (鳴く)
ヤッタンは「ワンワン」と鳴いた。
ヤッタンは「ワンワン」と ないた。
Yattan barked, 'Woof woof.'
ヤッタン is a Shiba (a dog), so he uses 鳴く. ワンワン is the Japanese 'woof woof.'
5. A bird sings / chirps (鳥が鳴く)
朝、鳥がきれいな声で鳴いている。
あさ、とりが きれいな こえで ないて いる。
In the morning, the birds are singing beautifully.
Birdsong is 鳴く — same verb as a barking dog, because both are animals voicing their sound.
6. A cat meows (猫が鳴く)
お腹がすいた猫が「ニャー」と鳴いた。
おなかが すいた ねこが「ニャー」と ないた。
The hungry cat meowed, 'Meow.'
ニャー is the Japanese 'meow.' Animal sound → 鳴く.
7. Insects chirping (虫が鳴く)
秋の夜は虫がたくさん鳴く。
あきの よるは むしが たくさん なく。
On autumn nights, lots of insects chirp.
Even insects use 鳴く — the verb covers any animal's natural cry or sound.
Quick gut-check for either verb: picture the subject. Is it a human (or human-like) feeling an emotion and tearing up? → 泣く. Is it a creature making the sound it naturally makes? → 鳴く.
Common collocations worth memorizing
These pairings come up constantly. Learning them as chunks makes the 泣く / 鳴く choice automatic:
| Collocation | Meaning | Kanji |
|---|---|---|
| 赤ちゃんが泣く | a baby cries | 泣く |
| 泣いてしまう | to end up crying | 泣く |
| うれし泣き | tears of joy | 泣く |
| 泣き出す | to burst into tears | 泣く |
| 犬が鳴く | a dog barks | 鳴く |
| 鳥が鳴く | a bird sings/chirps | 鳴く |
| 猫が鳴く | a cat meows | 鳴く |
| 虫が鳴く | insects chirp | 鳴く |
Kanji & related verbs
The two everyday kanji split cleanly by subject:
- 泣く — water radical (氵) = tears. Used only for people (and, in stories, human-like characters who weep with emotion).
- 鳴く — mouth (口) + bird (鳥) = a creature's voice. Used for animals, birds, and insects.
There's also a third なく you'll meet that is not a crying verb at all:
- 無く (なく) — this is the adverbial form of 無い / ない ("there isn't / not"), as in お金が無くなる ("the money runs out / is gone"). It's written with the kanji for "nothing" (無) and has nothing to do with crying or animal sounds. Don't let the shared sound fool you — context (and the absence of a tearful person or a noisy animal) makes it clear.
At N5, focus on 泣く vs 鳴く; just recognize that 無く exists so it doesn't trip you up in reading.
泣く vs 鳴く — the key difference
This is the comparison the JLPT loves. Same reading, same conjugation — the subject decides everything:
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 泣く (a person cries) | A human sheds tears from emotion — sadness, joy, or frustration | 赤ちゃんが泣く = the baby cries |
| 鳴く (an animal sounds) | An animal, bird, or insect makes its natural cry or sound | 犬が鳴く = the dog barks |
A reliable test: can the subject cry actual tears? Babies, kids, adults — yes, so 泣く. Dogs, cats, birds, bugs — they make sounds, not tears, so 鳴く. If you can hear a voice or sound from a creature, reach for 鳴く; if you can picture tears on a face, reach for 泣く.
Quick recap
- Same sound, two kanji: 泣く = a person cries (tears); 鳴く = an animal/bird/insect makes its sound.
- Both are intransitive Group 1 (う-)verbs: 泣く → 泣いて / 泣いた / 泣かない (and 鳴く the same way).
- Memory hook: 泣 has the water radical (tears); 鳴 has mouth + bird (an animal's voice).
- High-value chunks: 赤ちゃんが泣く, 泣いてしまう, うれし泣き / 犬が鳴く, 鳥が鳴く, 虫が鳴く.
- Don't confuse 無く (なく, from 無い "there isn't") — a totally different word that just sounds the same.
Your turn
Can you pick 泣く or 鳴く for each subject?
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 泣く and 鳴く?
泣く is for a person crying or weeping with tears (赤ちゃんが泣く = the baby cries). 鳴く is for an animal, bird, or insect making its natural cry or sound (犬が鳴く = the dog barks). They sound identical but the subject — human vs animal — decides which kanji you use.
Is なく a ru-verb or u-verb?
Both 泣く and 鳴く are Group 1 (う-verbs / godan): なく → ないて (te-form), ないた (past), なかない (negative), なきます (polite). They are also both intransitive — there's no direct object.
Does 泣く only mean crying from sadness?
No. 泣く covers crying from any strong emotion — sadness, joy (うれし泣き = tears of joy), or frustration. It's about a person shedding tears, whatever the reason.
What about the なく in お金がなくなる — is that 泣く?
No, that's 無く, the form of 無い / ない meaning 'there isn't / none.' お金が無くなる means 'the money runs out.' It only shares the sound — it has nothing to do with crying or animal sounds.