泣ける

• Reading: なける
• Romaji: nakeru
• Kanji breakdown: 泣 (cry) + ける (potential suffix) → makes you cry / cry-worthy
• Pronunciation: /na.ke.ɾɯ/

Meaning

Makes you cry, so touching or moving — used as a one-word reaction to recommend something emotionally powerful.

The potential form of 泣く (naku, to cry), meaning 'it makes one cry' or 'it's cry-worthy.' 泣ける is one of the most common one-word reactions in Japanese reviews and social media. Saying 泣ける about a film, song, or story is a strong recommendation — it means the content is emotionally powerful enough to bring you to tears. 泣ける映画 (nakeru eiga) is a standard genre label.

Examples

1. この曲マジで泣ける。歌詞がやばい。 This song seriously makes you cry. The lyrics hit different.
2. 泣ける映画を探してるんだけど、おすすめある？ I'm looking for a movie that'll make me cry — any recommendations?
3. 最終回泣けた。こんなに泣いたアニメ初めて。 The finale made me bawl. I've never cried that much at an anime.

Usage Guide

Context: reviews, social media, daily conversation

Tone: emotional, recommendatory

Do Say

• あの映画泣けるから、ティッシュ用意して。 (That film will make you cry, so have tissues ready.)
• マジ泣けた。こんな話ずるいよ。 (I seriously cried. A story like that is just unfair.)

Don't Say

• 泣ける場面を事前にネタバレしない (Don't spoil which scenes are tear-jerking — let people experience it naturally)

Common Mistakes

• Confusing 泣ける (nakeru, makes you cry / touching) with 泣かせる (nakaseru, to make someone cry intentionally) — 泣ける is about the content's emotional power, not deliberate action

Origin & History

Potential form of 泣く (naku, to cry) meaning 'it makes one cry.' Has long been used in Japanese but became especially prominent as a one-word review/reaction term with the rise of social media.

Cultural Context

Era: Long-standing usage, amplified by social media in 2000s-2010s

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across Japan. 泣ける映画 (cry-worthy movies) is an established genre category. Extremely common in Amazon reviews, movie recommendations, and Twitter/X reactions.