A1 Idiom Neutre

涙を流す

namida o nagasu

Shed tears

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use this phrase to describe the physical act of crying or shedding tears in both formal and casual settings.

  • Means: To shed tears or cry.
  • Used in: Describing emotional scenes, movies, or personal sadness.
  • Don't confuse: It is a physical description, not just the abstract feeling of sadness.
Eye + Water = 涙を流す

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means to cry. You use it when you see someone with tears in their eyes. It is a very common way to talk about feelings.
It describes the physical action of tears falling. It is more descriptive than just saying 'to cry'. You can use it when talking about sad movies or happy moments.
This idiom is used to convey a sense of emotional depth. It is often found in narratives or formal speech to describe a character's reaction to a significant event, highlighting the visual aspect of the tears.
The phrase functions as a transitive construction that elevates the register of 'crying'. It is frequently employed in literary or journalistic contexts to provide a more evocative description of human emotional responses.
Syntactically, this phrase utilizes the transitive verb 'nagasu' to objectify the emotional output. It is a classic example of how Japanese uses concrete physical actions to represent abstract psychological states, often used to create a sense of pathos in formal discourse.
From a cognitive linguistics perspective, this phrase maps the 'tears as liquid' metaphor onto the 'emotion as container' schema. By focusing on the 'shedding' (flow), the speaker emphasizes the release of internal pressure, providing a sophisticated linguistic tool for describing catharsis in both formal and creative writing.

Signification

To cry or weep.

🌍

Contexte culturel

Crying in public is often seen as a sign of sincerity and deep feeling, especially in group settings. Similar to Japan, shedding tears is seen as a sign of emotional honesty. The metaphor of tears as a liquid that flows is almost universal.

💡

Use with emotion

Always pair it with an emotion like 'sadness' or 'joy' for better context.

Signification

To cry or weep.

💡

Use with emotion

Always pair it with an emotion like 'sadness' or 'joy' for better context.

Teste-toi

Choose the correct verb.

彼女は感動して涙を＿＿＿。

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : 流した

You shed (流す) tears.

🎉 Score : /1

Aides visuelles

Questions fréquentes

1 questions

Yes, but 'naku' is more common for babies.

Expressions liées

🔗

嬉し涙

specialized form

Tears of joy

🔗

泣く

similar

To cry

🔗

涙もろい

builds on

Easily moved to tears

Où l'utiliser

🎬

Watching a sad movie

A: この映画、本当に感動したね。

B: うん、思わず涙を流しちゃったよ。

neutral
🎓

Graduation ceremony

Teacher: 卒業生の皆さんが涙を流しているのを見て、私も胸が熱くなりました。

formal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of a 'Namida' (tear) 'Nagasu' (nautical/river) — a river of tears flowing down.

Visual Association

Imagine a person standing in the rain, but the water is actually tears flowing from their eyes.

Story

Kenji watched a sad movie. He felt a lump in his throat. Suddenly, he couldn't hold it back. He started to shed tears (涙を流す).

Word Web

泣く感動悲しみ涙流す感情

Défi

Write three sentences about a time you were moved to tears.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Derramar lágrimas

The verb 'derramar' is more formal than 'llorar'.

French high

Verser des larmes

It is used in literary contexts more often than in casual speech.

German high

Tränen vergießen

It sounds quite dramatic and is often used in literature.

Japanese self

涙を流す

It is the baseline for all other comparisons.

Arabic high

ذرف الدموع

It is a very specific verb reserved only for tears.

Easily Confused

涙を流す vs 泣き叫ぶ

Learners think it means 'shed tears'.

It means to cry and scream/wail.

FAQ (1)

Yes, but 'naku' is more common for babies.

C'tait utile ?

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