涙（なみだ、namida）
- tear

The Japanese word 涙 (なみだ, namida) primarily means "tears." It refers to the clear liquid that comes from the eyes, typically in response to emotions such as sadness, joy, or pain. It can also refer to the act of crying or shedding tears. It’s a common word used in everyday conversation and literature to describe emotional states.

⚫︎ 彼女は悲しくて、涙を流しました。 Translation: She was sad and shed tears. ⚫︎ 映画を見て、涙が止まらなかった。 Translation: I couldn't stop crying after watching the movie. ⚫︎ 嬉しすぎて、涙が出た。 Translation: I was so happy that I cried tears of joy.

涙 is used to describe the physical manifestation of crying. You can use it in situations where someone is expressing emotion and their eyes are shedding tears. You can describe the feeling of wanting to cry or being on the verge of crying as well. It is often used as a noun, but can function as a verb when describing the act of crying itself, although the verb 泣く (naku - to cry) is more common for describing the action of crying.

The word 涙 is most commonly written in kanji as 涙. The hiragana reading is なみだ. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana is standard, with no variation.

There aren't many direct synonyms for "tears" itself, but words related to crying include: ⚫︎ 泣き (naki) - crying (as a noun) ⚫︎ 号泣 (gōkyū) - sobbing ⚫︎ 嗚咽 (oetsu) - choking with sobs (used to describe strong crying) Words that can represent the emotional state that caused 涙: ⚫︎ 悲しみ (kanashimi) - sadness ⚫︎ 喜び (yorokobi) - joy ⚫︎ 苦しみ (kurushimi) - suffering

There is no direct antonym for 涙 itself. It would depend on the context. If referring to the emotion, antonyms would include: ⚫︎ 喜び (yorokobi) - joy ⚫︎ 笑顔 (egao) - smile If referring to the absence of tears: ⚫︎ 乾いた目 (kawaita me) - dry eyes

その知らせを聞いて、彼女は涙をこぼした。 ・Translation: Hearing that news, she shed tears. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the act of crying as a direct result of hearing some information, showcasing the emotional impact.

感動して、彼女の目に涙が浮かんだ。 ・Translation: Moved, tears welled up in her eyes. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the physical appearance of tears as a result of feeling moved or touched by something.

The etymology of 涙 is uncertain, but it likely originated from older Japanese words. The kanji 涙 is a combination of radical 氵 (water) and 示 (show). This suggests that the word originally meant to show water or to shed water, which clearly refers to the function of 涙 .