How do you say "tear" in Japanese?

涙

namida

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "tear" is 涙 (namida).

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Pronunciation

Namida is nah-mee-dah, three even syllables, softly flowing like the tear itself rolling down.

Writing and usage

涙 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

一筋の涙が頬を伝った。

hitosuji no namida ga hoo wo tsutatsu ta.

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

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How to remember 涙

Let the three soft beats, nah-mee-dah, roll smoothly like a single tear sliding down a cheek.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 涙

How do you pronounce 涙?

Namida is nah-mee-dah, three even syllables, softly flowing like the tear itself rolling down.

Is 涙 formal or casual?

涙 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 涙 written in Japanese?

涙 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as namida.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Tear" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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