嘆く・歎く|なげくnageku[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
嘆く嘆く is the most common written form, using a kanji together with kana; it is the form learners are most likely to encounter.
歎く歎く is a less common written variant, also using a kanji together with kana; learners may encounter it, but less often than 嘆く.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbto lament; to grieve; to regret
- godan verb, transitive verbto deplore
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 嘆く（なげく） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 嘆きます（なげきます） |
| Negative (nai) | 嘆かない（なげかない） |
| polite (masen) | 嘆きません（なげきません） |
| classical zu / nu | 嘆かず・嘆かぬ（なげかず・なげかぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 嘆いた（なげいた） |
| polite (mashita) | 嘆きました（なげきました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 嘆かなかった（なげかなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 嘆きませんでした（なげきませんでした） |
| Te form | 嘆いて（なげいて） |
| Potential | 嘆ける（なげける） |
| Passive | 嘆かれる（なげかれる） |
| Causative | 嘆かせる（なげかせる） |
| Causative passive | 嘆かせられる・嘆かされる（なげかせられる・なげかされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 嘆けば（なげけば） |
| tara | 嘆いたら（なげいたら） |
| Volitional | 嘆こう（なげこう） |
| polite (mashou) | 嘆きましょう（なげきましょう） |
| Imperative | 嘆け（なげけ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym悲嘆ひたんWrittenWritten. Extreme grief or anguish, as in 「悲嘆に暮れる」; much stronger in degree than 「嘆く」.
- Synonym悲しむかなしむNeutralNeutral. To feel sad, as in 「別れを悲しむ」; centers on inner sorrow, while 「嘆く」 is about voicing grief or complaints.
- Synonym悼むいたむWrittenWritten. To grieve for someone who has died, as in 「故人を悼む」; leans toward mourning and honoring the departed.
- Synonym悔やむくやむNeutralNeutral. To regret, as in 「過去を悔やむ」, and also to grieve for the dead; 「お悔やみ」 is a set condolence phrase. Leans toward remorse.
- Synonym嘆じるたんじるWrittenWritten. Means to lament, and also to sigh in admiration; rare today. For grieving, everyday speech uses 「嘆く」, and the admiration sense cannot be replaced by 「嘆く」.
- Synonym嘆ずるたんずるWrittenWritten. A classical form of 「嘆じる」 with the same meaning — to lament or deplore.
- Synonym慨嘆がいたんWrittenWritten. To lament over the state of society, as in 「世相を慨嘆する」; leans toward sorrow over the world's ills.
- Related嘆息たんそくWrittenWritten. A long sigh, as in 「深く嘆息する」; focuses on the act of sighing itself.
- Related弔うとむらうWrittenWritten. To mourn the dead or hold a funeral for them; leans toward the ritual side.
- Related愁傷しゅうしょうWrittenWritten. Sorrow or grief; now mostly seen in the condolence phrase 「ご愁傷様」.
- Related悲憤慷慨ひふんこうがいWrittenWritten idiom. To lament the evils of the times with grief and indignation; leans toward concern for the nation.
- Related悲憤ひふんWrittenWritten. Grief mixed with indignation; stresses feeling sorrow and anger at the same time.
- Related慷慨こうがいWrittenWritten. Fervent lamentation over the way of the world; leans toward righteous indignation.
- Related悲しがるかなしがるNeutralNeutral. To act or look sad; few examples in use, and mostly describes someone else's sadness.
- Antonym喜ぶよろこぶNeutralNeutral. To be delighted or glad; the opposite of 「嘆く」 in its grieving sense.
- Antonym笑うわらうNeutralNeutral. To laugh or smile; the opposite of 「嘆く」 in its sighing sense.
Use 「嘆く」 to lament, grieve over, or complain about something, as in 「不運を嘆く」. For sadness felt inside, say 「悲しむ」; for regret, 「悔やむ」; for mourning the dead, 「悼む」. The other written-style words are literary alternatives with narrower nuances, and 「喜ぶ」 stands as its opposite.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
