冴える

さえる

Also written 冱える

Meanings

1. Ichidan verb, Intransitive to be clear (of a sight, sound, colour, etc.); to be bright; to be vivid; to be crisp
2. to be clear-headed; to be alert; to be on the ball; to be wide awake
3. to look upbeat; to be perky; to be cheerful (often as 冴えない)
4. to master (a skill); to excel at; to cleanly execute
5. to be satisfying (often as 冴えない) See also: 冴えない (さえない).
6. to become frigid; to become intensely cold (original meaning; now somewhat old-fashioned)

Kanji

• 冴 be clear; serene; cold. Read as さえる.

Example sentences

• コーヒーを一杯飲むと頭が冴える。
  I feel more alert after drinking a cup of coffee.
• 今日の日本は１０年前の日本でさえない。
  Japan today is not what it was even ten years ago.
• 今日は頭がさえません。
  My brain doesn't seem to be working well today.
• 彼女は頭のさえた人だ。
  She is a clear-headed.
• 満月が空にさえている。
  A full moon is shining bright in the sky.

Common phrases

• 冴え渡る (さえわたる) to be clear
• 目が冴える (めがさえる) to be wide-awake
• パットが冴える

Words containing 冴える

• 冴え輝く (さえかがやく) to shine clearly
• 冴え行く (さえゆく) to clear gradually
• 冴え冴えした (さえざえした) cheerful (look)

And 6 more.

Word lists

• JLPT N1

Jinuma: Japanese Dictionary · Word lists