Translation guide
Describes the act of crying with audible intensity, from sobbing and wailing to bawling and howling. Japanese has many onomatopoeic and descriptive verbs that capture different nuances of loud crying.
To cry loudly and uncontrollably, often with tears and noise.
A common and natural verb meaning to cry and shout at the same time, often used for children or people in distress.
子供が泣き叫んでいた。
The child was crying loudly.
A straightforward phrase meaning 'to cry in a loud voice'. Less intense than 泣き叫ぶ.
彼女は大声で泣いた。
She cried loudly.
Means to wail or cry violently. Often used in more dramatic or literary contexts.
彼は号泣しながら謝った。
He apologized while crying loudly.
To cry very loudly and without restraint, often associated with infants or extreme emotion.
An onomatopoeic phrase for bawling, often used for babies or someone crying with abandon.
赤ちゃんがおんおん泣いている。
The baby is bawling.
Another onomatopoeic expression for loud crying, similar to 'bawling' or 'howling'. Often used for children.
子供がわんわん泣き出した。
The child started bawling.
To cry with convulsive gasps and audible sobs.
Means to sob or weep audibly. The focus is on the sound of sobbing rather than shouting.
彼女は肩を震わせてすすり泣いた。
She sobbed loudly, her shoulders shaking.
To sob or weep while choking up. Conveys a more intense, emotional sobbing.
To cry out loudly in deep sorrow, like a lament.
To cry and scream hysterically. Often implies a tantrum or extreme grief.
彼女は泣きわめいて助けを求めた。
She cried loudly for help.
A formal/literary term for wailing or lamenting loudly, often in deep mourning.
人々は慟哭した。
The people wailed loudly.
泣き叫ぶ emphasizes the combination of crying and shouting, often used for children or dramatic scenes. 号泣する focuses on the intensity of crying itself, and is more formal/literary.
子供が泣き叫ぶ声が聞こえた。
I heard a child crying loudly.
映画のラストシーンで号泣した。
I cried loudly at the movie's final scene.
English 'crying loudly' is often expressed with specific verbs or onomatopoeia in Japanese. Using 大声で泣く is understandable but can sound less natural than the more idiomatic options.
彼はむせび泣きながら話した。
He spoke while sobbing loudly.