子守唄
komoriuta
The Japanese word for lullaby is 子守唄 (komoriuta).
子守唄 refers to a soothing song used to lull children to sleep.
Meaning: a soothing song to lull children to sleep (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 子守唄 is the standard term, the kanji 歌 is a common alternative for the final character 唄 in the word 子守歌.
How do you pronounce it?
komoriuta
Did you know?
- Some traditional lullabies overlap with warabe uta, which can contain warnings about the spirit world and supernatural dangers.
- Traditional 子守唄 often contain lyrics about the hardships of the singer's life or deep sadness, rather than being purely happy or sweet.
- If you listen to traditional versions of 子守唄, you might hear the 'insen' scale. This scale creates a haunting, 'exotic' sound that differs significantly from the Western major and minor scales.
Examples in context
- 子守唄を歌って。Sing me a lullaby.This sentence is useful for asking someone to sing the form 子守唄.Tatoeba #9314874 by small_snow, translation #8356795 by AlanF_US
- アンは妹のために子守唄を歌ってあげた。Ann sang a lullaby for her little sister.This sentence is useful for describing the action of singing the form 子守唄 for someone else.Tatoeba #229474 by Kaede, translation #66833 by CN
- 昔ながらの子守唄を聞きました。mukashinagara no komoriuta o kikimashita.I heard a traditional lullaby.
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are talking about music in a cafe.
- 蓮 Ren結衣さんは子守唄を知っていますか？Yui-san wa komoriuta o shitte imasu ka?Yui, do you know any lullabies?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、母がよく歌ってくれました。Hai, haha ga yoku utatte kuremashita.Yes, my mother used to sing them to me often.
- 蓮 Ren素敵な思い出ですね。Suteki na omoide desu ne.That is a lovely memory.
- 結衣 Yuiええ、とても懐かしいです。Ee, totemo natsukashii desu.Yes, it feels very nostalgic.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
