10
鳴く

To Make An Animal Sound


Meaning

To Make An Animal Sound, To Bark, To Chirp

Word Type

intransitive verb, godan verb

Explanation

This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means chirp but the verb has the broader meaning to make an animal sound. Variations of this include to bark or to chirp, but this can be used for any animal sound.


Reading

なく

Explanation

The reading is the same reading as the one you learned with the kanji. So, spend more time chirping and less time memorizing, okay?


Context

Patterns of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • ネコが鳴く

    a cat meows

    鳥が鳴く

    a bird chirps

    虫が鳴く

    the insects chirp

Context Sentences

外から鳥が鳴く声がしますね。

We hear the birds chirping outside.

子犬がワンワン鳴いています。

The puppy is barking.

ニワトリが「コケコッコー!」と鳴く音が農場の朝を始めます。

The sound of chickens saying "cock-a-doodle-doo" starts the morning of the farm.


Kanji Composition