Meaning
The kanji 鳴 (mei, naku, naru, narasu) represents the fundamental concept of making a sound or emitting a cry. It primarily refers to the sounds made by living creatures, such as a bird chirping, a dog barking, a cat meowing, or an insect buzzing. Beyond animal sounds, its meaning also extends to inanimate objects that generate noise, like a bell ringing, an alarm sounding, or thunder rumbling. This versatile kanji is essential for describing various auditory events in Japanese.
The kanji's etymology is quite clear, offering a direct visual link to its meaning. 鳴 is a phono-semantic compound character. Its top component, 口 (kuchi), represents a 'mouth' or an opening, directly indicating the source of sound. The bottom component, 鳥 (tori), means 'bird'. This visual combination depicts a bird making a sound from its mouth, perfectly illustrating the act of 'crying' or 'singing' for animals. While literally showing a bird, the kanji's application broadened over time to include sounds made by all animals and even inanimate objects.
Consisting of 14 strokes, 鳴 is part of the Jōyō Kanji list, taught to Japanese elementary students in Grade 2. Its early introduction highlights its high frequency and importance in everyday language.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The On'yomi (Chinese-derived reading) for 鳴 is メイ (MEI). This reading appears in more formal contexts, academic terms, or in compound words. Here, it combines with other kanji to form abstract or specialized concepts related to sound, echoes, or even emotional expressions. The On'yomi often implies a more significant or resonant sound than the simple act of crying.
- 鳴動 (meidō) — rumbling, tremor, vibration (often used for natural phenomena like earthquakes or thunder)
- 悲鳴 (himei) — a scream, a shriek (an expression of intense fear or pain)
- 共鳴 (kyōmei) — resonance, sympathy, echo (can refer to physical sound waves or emotional alignment)
- 鳴禽 (meikin) — a songbird (a bird known for its melodious call)
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The Kun'yomi (native Japanese readings) are more common for verbs, especially when the kanji appears alone or with okurigana (hiragana suffixes). 鳴 has three primary kun'yomi readings, each carrying distinct nuances:
- な(く) (na(ku))
This reading forms the intransitive verb 鳴く (naku), used specifically for animals making sounds. It covers a wide range of animal vocalizations: birds chirping, dogs barking, cats meowing, and insects buzzing. Interestingly, it can also refer to certain inanimate objects making animal-like sounds, such as a kettle whistling. The focus here is on the animal or object producing its characteristic sound.
鳥が鳴く (tori ga naku) — a bird sings/chirps
犬が鳴く (inu ga naku) — a dog barks
虫が鳴く (mushi ga naku) — an insect chirps/sings
な(る) (na(ru))
This reading forms the intransitive verb 鳴る (naru), primarily used for inanimate objects making sounds. It describes events like bells ringing, alarms sounding, telephones ringing, or thunder rumbling. The emphasis is on the sound being produced by an object, often automatically or as a signal.
ベルが鳴る (beru ga naru) — a bell rings
電話が鳴る (denwa ga naru) — a phone rings
雷が鳴る (kaminari ga naru) — thunder rumbles
な(らす) (na(rasu))
This reading forms the transitive verb 鳴らす (narasu), meaning 'to make something sound' or 'to cause to ring/blow/honk.' It implies an active agent intentionally producing a sound from an object. For example, you would use 鳴らす when someone rings a bell, blows a whistle, or honks a car horn.
- 鐘を鳴らす (kane wo narasu) — to ring a bell
- 笛を鳴らす (fue wo narasu) — to blow a whistle
- クラクションを鳴らす (kurakushon wo narasu) — to honk a horn
Common Words & Compounds
The kanji 鳴 appears in many common words and compounds, reflecting its broad application to sounds from both living beings and inanimate objects. Learning these compounds will help you appreciate the kanji's versatility.
Words related to Animal Sounds:
- 鳴き声 (nakigoe) — the cry or voice of an animal (e.g., 犬の鳴き声 (inu no nakigoe) - a dog's bark)
- 鳥の鳴き声 (tori no nakigoe) — a bird's song/chirp
- 蝉時雨 (semishigure) — a shower of cicada chirps; the collective sound of cicadas (evokes a rainy sound)
Words related to Object Sounds & Signals:
- 着信音 (chakushinon) — ringtone (for an incoming call)
- 警報が鳴る (keihō ga naru) — an alarm sounds/goes off
- 汽笛を鳴らす (kiteki wo narasu) — to blow a train whistle/horn
- 太鼓を鳴らす (taiko wo narasu) — to beat a drum
- 鳴り物 (narimono) — musical instrument; noisemaker (especially for festivals)
- 鳴り響く (narihibiku) — to echo, to reverberate, to resound
Words related to Figurative & Intense Sounds:
- 悲鳴 (himei) — a scream, shriek (already mentioned, but important for its intensity)
- 共鳴 (kyōmei) — resonance, sympathy, accord (can be abstract, like an idea resonating with someone)
- 鳴動 (meidō) — rumbling, trembling (often used for geological activity or a powerful sound causing vibration)
- 鳴り止まない (nariyamaranai) — won't stop ringing/sounding (e.g., applause that won't stop)
Example Sentences
朝、鳥が美しく鳴いていた。
Asa, tori ga utsukushiku naite ita.
In the morning, the birds were singing beautifully.
突然、電話が鳴り始めた。
Totsuzen, denwa ga narihajimeta.
Suddenly, the phone started to ring.
子供は嬉しくて、笛を高く鳴らした。
Kodomo wa ureshikute, fue wo takaku narashita.
The child was happy and blew the whistle loudly.
目覚まし時計が毎朝７時に鳴る。
Mezamashi dokei ga maiasa shichi-ji ni naru.
The alarm clock rings at 7 AM every morning.
暗い森で、遠くでフクロウが鳴いていた。
Kurai mori de, tōku de fukurō ga naite ita.
In the dark forest, an owl was hooting in the distance.
彼は車のクラクションを鳴らして、私に合図した。
Kare wa kuruma no kurakushon wo narashite, watashi ni aizu shita.
He honked his car horn to signal me.
観客たちの共鳴は、拍手となって会場に鳴り響いた。
Kankyaku-tachi no kyōmei wa, hakushu to natte kaijō ni narihibiita.
The audience's resonance echoed through the venue as applause.
地震の際には、緊急の警報が鳴るように設定されている。
Jishin no sai ni wa, kinkyū no keihō ga naru yō ni setteisarete iru.
During an earthquake, an emergency alarm is set to sound.
隣の家の犬が夜通し鳴き続けて、寝られなかった。
Tonari no ie no inu ga yodōshi nakitsuzukete, nerarenakatta.
The neighbor's dog kept barking all night, and I couldn't sleep.
映画のクライマックスで、主人公の悲鳴が劇場に鳴り響いた。
Eiga no kuraimakkusu de, shujinkō no himei ga gekijō ni narihibiita.
At the climax of the movie, the protagonist's scream echoed through the theater.
Memory Tip
To remember 鳴, visualize its components: the 'mouth' (口) radical at the top and the 'bird' (鳥) radical at the bottom. The kanji literally depicts a bird making a sound from its mouth. Imagine a bird perched on a branch, opening its little mouth wide to chirp a beautiful song or a warning cry. The 'mouth' is the source, and the 'bird' is the one producing the sound. This vivid image directly connects the kanji's visual shape to its core meaning: 'to cry,' 'to sing,' or 'to sound.' Simply think of it as the sound of a bird (鳥) coming out of a mouth (口). This memory aid is powerful because the kanji essentially represents its primary meaning visually.