How to say "misery" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 憂き目うきめnounMisery here is something you live through: bitter, distressing experiences or a stretch of grief and hardship. It suits talk of the suffering a person undergoes, rather than a passing feeling of sadness.後で憂き目をみる。↗This will bring you to grief.
- 哀れあわれnounMisery as a feeling: sorrow, grief, or the pitiable quality of a person or situation that stirs sympathy. It fits emotional misery and states that invite pity, not practical hardship or difficulty.
- 難渋なんじゅうna-adjective, noun, suru verb, intransitive verbThis word centers on difficulty and hardship — distress in the sense of being hard-pressed or in straits. It matches 'misery' only on that side, not as grief or a pitiable feeling.
Use 「憂き目」 for misery as bitter experiences one undergoes, 「哀れ」 for misery as sorrow or a pitiable state that stirs sympathy, and 難渋 for misery as hardship or distress in difficult circumstances.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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