What does 冴える mean?
冴える is a Japanese verb meaning “to be clear, to be bright, to be skillful” in English. It can also be translated as “to be clear-headed, to look upbeat, to master (a skill)” depending on context. It is written as 冴える in kanji, さえる in hiragana, and saeru in romaji. This word is part of JLPT N1 vocabulary.
Example sentences
満月が空にさえている。
A full moon is shining bright in the sky.
昨日ゆっくり休んだ分、今日は頭が冴えている。
I feel smart today, to a degree that is in proportion to the amount of good rest I had yesterday.