鳴く

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 鳴く is read as なく and is an intransitive verb for a bird, cat, or other animal making its characteristic sound.
• Basic usage: A bird singing appears in 鳥が鳴く, while a kitten crying appears in 子猫が鳴く.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Translate it by animal
  • The same 鳴く can be “sing” or “chirp” for a bird and “cry” for a kitten, depending on the animal's sound.
• Difference from 泣く
  • Although pronounced the same, 泣く mainly describes a person crying tears, while 鳴く describes an animal making a call.