How to say "ache" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 痛みいたみnounThe noun: an ache or pain taken as a thing; it also covers soreness and grief. Use it to name the ache itself, as when speaking of the soreness in one's shoulders.
- 痛むいたむgodan verb, intransitive verbThe verb: to hurt or ache, to feel a pain. Use it when you want to say that something hurts — that your head or stomach is aching — rather than to name the pain.彼はいま歯が痛むのでよくかむことができない。↗He can't chew well, because he has a toothache now.
The choice is mostly grammatical: use 「痛み」 when English needs the noun — the ache, pain, or soreness itself, even grief — and 「痛む」 when English needs the verb, saying that something hurts or aches.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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