What does “namida” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “namida” to mean ‘tear’ or ‘tears’ in Japanese. Very simple, I think. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expressions. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “namida” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “namida”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “namida”.
- namida – 涙/泪 (なみだ) : a noun meaning ‘tear’ or ‘teardrop’ in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Its definition and meanings are simple and clear, but it has two different kanji expressions. To understand them clearly, let me explain them in more detail.
“Namida” in kanji
Strictly speaking, “namida” has the three different kanji expressions, but the third one is not commonly used today. So, let me explain the two shown above.
- 涙 : a kanji character composed of the two different parts. The left one is a basic radical expressing ‘water’; the right one is a character meaning ‘return’. So, this kanji character expresses something returning to water. This concept is interesting, I think. It is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close to what tears are. This is an explanation based one the kanji components. In reality, however, this kanji character was born in a more hieroglyphical way. It was created to express a stream of tears on a face.
- 泪 : a kanji character composed of the two different parts. The left one is the same as “涙”, expressing ‘water’; the right one is a character meaning ‘eye’. So, this kanji character expresses liquid coming out of eyes. This concept is completely in line with the meanings.
Basically both kanji characters can mean the same things, but it’s worth mentioning that Japanese people use the upper one more often.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “namida” through the detailed kanji checks above. Then, let me explain how to use it through example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “tears” in Japanese
kanojo ga namida wo nagashi ta – 彼女が涙を流した (かのじょがなみだをながした)
She cried tears.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject word in the sentence.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this works after “namida” to make the object word in the sentence.
- nagashi – 流し (ながし) : one conjugation of the verb, “nagasu”, which means ‘to pour’, ‘to let [something] flow’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after “nagashi” to make its past tense form, “nagashi ta”.
This is a typical usage of “namida”. In the example, it works as a part of the commonly-used expression, “namida wo nagashi ta”, which means ‘to have cried tears’ in Japanese. This expression should be learnt together with its present tense form, “namida wo nagasu”.
Example #2: another usage of “namida”
kare wa namida me ni nat ta – 彼は涙目になった (かれはなみだめになった)
He got teary-eyed.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kare” to make the subject word in the sentence.
- me – 目 (め) : a noun meaning ‘eye’ or ‘eyes’ in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to indicate a state which someone or something is in after a change or action. In the example, this is used after “namida me” to say what kare’s eyes became.
- nat – なっ : one conjugation of the verb, “naru”, which means ‘to become’, ‘to turn’, ‘to get’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
This is another typical usage of “namida”. In this example, it works as a part of the commonly-used expression, “namida me”, which literally means ‘teary eyes’ in Japanese.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained “namida” in detail with its two different kanji expressions. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- namida – 涙/泪 (なみだ) : a noun meaning ‘tear’ or ‘teardrop’ in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun. Basically both kanji expressions mean the same things, but native speakers use the first one more often.
- namida wo nagasu – 涙を流す (なみだをながす) : a Japanese expression for ‘to cry tears’.
- namida me – 涙目 (なみだめ) : a Japanese expression for ‘teary eyes’.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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