synonym Comparative
鳴く
VS
さえずる
Differences Between "鳴く" and "さえずる"
Option A
鳴く
Meaning
to sing (birds); to cry (animals); to moo, bark, meow, etc.
Reading
なく (naku)
Syllabus Level
N4
Practical Example
庭で鳥が美しく鳴いています。
A bird is singing beautifully in the garden.
Option B
さえずる
Meaning
to chirp, to twitter (birds); to chatter (people, often annoyingly or in a high-pitched voice)
Reading
さえずる (saezuru)
Syllabus Level
N2
Practical Example
朝、小鳥たちが楽しそうにさえずっていた。
In the morning, little birds were chirping happily.
Which one to use?
Select the correct Japanese word for this context
Which word fits this context: "(to sing (birds); to cry (animals); to moo, bark, meow, etc.)"?
🎉 正解 / Correct!
使い分け解説:
- 鳴く: Specifically refers to the sound made by animals (birds, insects, cats, dogs, etc.). It is NOT used for human crying (which is 泣く - naku). (動物や鳥、虫が声を出す時に使います。人間が泣く時には使いません。)
- さえずる: Primarily used for birds singing or chirping. Can also be used, sometimes negatively, for people talking incessantly or in a high-pitched, childish way.
- 鳴く: Specifically refers to the sound made by animals (birds, insects, cats, dogs, etc.). It is NOT used for human crying (which is 泣く - naku). (動物や鳥、虫が声を出す時に使います。人間が泣く時には使いません。)
- さえずる: Primarily used for birds singing or chirping. Can also be used, sometimes negatively, for people talking incessantly or in a high-pitched, childish way.
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