Meaning
Adds the meaning of a start, often sudden or spontaneous, to a verb stem.
Formation
- Drop ます and add 出す: 泣きます → 泣き出す
- Often a sudden or spontaneous start; normally not used in invitations or requests — use 始める there
When to use it
- Core use
- Suddenly start doing
Examples
20 sentences-
子どもが急に泣き出しました
The child suddenly started crying.
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彼はその話を聞いて笑い出しました
He heard the story and burst out laughing.
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青い空から急に雨が降り出しました
Rain suddenly started falling from the blue sky.
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赤ちゃんが母の顔を見て笑い出しました
The baby saw its mother and suddenly started laughing.
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ベルが鳴ると選手たちは走り出しました
When the bell rang, the athletes started running.
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知らない人が来ると犬がほえ出しました
When a stranger arrived, the dog suddenly started barking.
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夜になると町の灯りが光り出しました
When night fell, the town lights began to shine.
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ドアが閉まると電車が動き出しました
When the doors closed, the train started moving.
12 more examples
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静かだった彼女が突然話し出しました
The quiet woman suddenly started speaking.
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朝日が出ると鳥が一斉に鳴き出しました
When the sun rose, the birds all started singing at once.
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急に赤ちゃんが泣き出しました
The baby suddenly started crying.
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空が暗くなって雨が降り出しました
The sky darkened and it started raining.
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犬が車を見て走り出しました
The dog saw the car and started running.
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彼の話を聞いてみんなが笑い出しました
Everyone burst out laughing at his story.
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止まっていた時計が急に動き出しました
The stopped clock suddenly started working.
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子どもが突然歌い出しました
The child suddenly began singing.
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映画の途中で電話が鳴り出しました
The phone started ringing in the middle of the film.
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みんなが一斉に話し出しました
Everyone started talking at once.
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風が急に吹き出しました
The wind suddenly started blowing.
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黙っていた友達がしゃべり出しました
My friend, who had been silent, suddenly began chatting.
Important notes
- Verb stem plus 出す often marks a sudden beginning: 泣き出す.
Common mistakes
- Attach it to the ます stem: 降り出す, not 降って出す for start raining.
Check yourself
Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.
Similar grammar
Hear it in podcasts
The pattern appears in these episodes. They open in the app with the transcript and translation.
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