鳴: the kanji for cry; sound
鳴 is a JLPT N3 kanji that means cry; sound. Below are its readings, 3 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
鳴 is written in 14 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
鳴 has 4 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 3 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
メイ (mei)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 悲鳴ひめい · himei | scream |
なく (naku)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 鳴くなく · naku | to cry (animal) |
なる (naru)
Kun reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 鳴るなる · naru | to ring; to sound |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 突然の音に彼女は悲鳴を上げた。Totsuzen no oto ni kanojo wa himei o ageta.She screamed at the sudden noise.
- 庭で鳥が鳴いている。Niwa de tori ga naite iru.A bird is singing in the garden.
- 電話が突然鳴った。Denwa ga totsuzen natta.The phone suddenly rang.
- 猫が夜中に鳴いていた。Neko ga yonaka ni naite ita.The cat was meowing in the middle of the night.
- …目覚まし時計が朝六時に鳴った。Mezamashi dokei ga asa rokuji ni natta.The alarm clock rang at six in the morning.
Questions about 鳴
How many strokes does 鳴 have?
鳴 is written in 14 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 鳴?
The on readings are mei (メイ). The kun readings are naku (なく), naru (なる), narasu (ならす).
What JLPT level is 鳴?
N3. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N3 falls between the former Levels 2 and 3.
More JLPT N3 kanji
Nature, food and animals
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 鳴
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.