吠える・吼える・咆える|ほえるhoeru[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
吠える吠える（ほえる） is the most common written form and the one beginners should normally use. It is written with kanji and kana.
吼える吼える（ほえる） is less common than 吠える（ほえる）. It is also written with kanji and kana, but 吠える（ほえる） is the better choice for beginners.
咆える咆える（ほえる） is rarely used. It is a written variant, but learners should normally choose 吠える（ほえる） instead.
Definitions
- ichidan verb, intransitive verbto bark; to howl; to bay; to roar; to yelp; to yap
- ichidan verb, intransitive verbto howl (of the wind); to roar (of the sea)
- ichidan verb, intransitive verbto yell; to shout; to cry; to moan
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 吠える（ほえる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 吠えます（ほえます） |
| Negative (nai) | 吠えない（ほえない） |
| polite (masen) | 吠えません（ほえません） |
| classical zu / nu | 吠えず・吠えぬ（ほえず・ほえぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 吠えた（ほえた） |
| polite (mashita) | 吠えました（ほえました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 吠えなかった（ほえなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 吠えませんでした（ほえませんでした） |
| Te form | 吠えて（ほえて） |
| Potential | 吠えられる（ほえられる） |
| Passive | 吠えられる（ほえられる） |
| Causative | 吠えさせる（ほえさせる） |
| Causative passive | 吠えさせられる（ほえさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 吠えれば（ほえれば） |
| tara | 吠えたら（ほえたら） |
| Volitional | 吠えよう（ほえよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 吠えましょう（ほえましょう） |
| Imperative | 吠えろ（ほえろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym咆哮ほうこうWrittenWritten word for the roar of a wild beast; fiercer and more menacing than 「吠える」.
- Synonym哮るたけるWrittenWritten word for roaring fiercely; rarely seen in modern Japanese.
- Related唸るうなるNeutralA low growl or groan, as in 「犬が唸る」; the sound is deep and low, while 「吠える」 is a loud cry.
- Related怒鳴るどなるNeutralA person shouting in anger, as in 「部下を怒鳴る」; used of people, whereas 「吠える」 is mostly for animals.
- RelatedわめくNeutralLoud, disorderly yelling, as in 「泣き喚く」; carries a sense of noisy loss of control.
- Related泣き叫ぶなきさけぶNeutralTo cry and scream at the same time; unlike 「吠える」, it involves weeping.
- Related叫ぶさけぶNeutralLoud shouting, or crying out strongly as in 「助けを叫ぶ」; mainly for people, though it also covers birds and beasts shrieking.
- Related絶叫ぜっきょうNeutralScreaming at the top of one's lungs, as in 「ジェットコースターで絶叫する」; the intensity is extreme.
- Related怒号どごうWrittenWritten word for angry roars, or the roar of wind and waves, as in 「怒号が飛び交う」.
- Related一喝いっかつNeutralA single sharp bark of rebuke, as in 「一喝される」; short and forceful.
- Relatedたけり立つたけりたつWrittenWritten word for raging and howling in a frenzy; examples are few.
- Related大喝だいかつWrittenWritten word for a thunderous shout of rebuke; rare in modern usage.
- Related泣き喚くなきわめくNeutralBawling — crying and shouting at full volume; conveys being out of control.
- Related叫喚きょうかんWrittenWritten word for screaming; met mostly in the phrase 「阿鼻叫喚」.
- Related疾呼しっこWrittenWritten word for urgent, hurried shouting; rare in modern Japanese.
- Related喚き立てるわめきたてるCasualColloquial: to keep yelling loudly on and on.
- Relatedがなり立てるがなりたてるCasualColloquial: bellowing at the top of one's voice, as in 「拡声器でがなり立てる」; has a harsh, grating feel.
- Related呼ばわるよばわるWrittenWritten word for calling out loudly; little used today.
- Antonym黙るだまるNeutralTo fall silent and say nothing — the opposite of roaring loudly.
- Antonym静まるしずまるNeutralTo quiet down or die away — the opposite of noisy barking.
Use 「吠える」 for a dog or wild animal barking loudly, or for a person yelling. For a low growl, say 「唸る」; for a person shouting in anger, 「怒鳴る」; for loud shouting, 「叫ぶ」; for a beast's roar, 「咆哮」. The opposite is 「黙る」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
