How to say "sad" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 悲しいかなしいi-adjectiveThe basic, everyday word for feeling sad — the direct equivalent of 'I'm sad'. It covers plain emotional sadness, from mild unhappiness to real sorrow.
- 悲愴ひそうna-adjective, nounCovers a heavy, grievous kind of sorrow rather than everyday unhappiness; it is not the word for simply saying 'I feel sad', where 悲しい is the natural choice.
- 沈痛ちんつうna-adjectiveCovers the 'grave, mournful' sense: a heavy, solemn sorrow, the kind felt in the face of grave news or loss, rather than light, everyday unhappiness.
- i-adjectiveNot a word for feelings: it means uncool, lame or unfashionable, in colloquial talk about style, taste or behavior. It matches 'sad' only in the 'pathetic' sense, never for emotional sadness.
- 惨めみじめna-adjectiveCovers the 'miserable, wretched' sense: feeling wretched about yourself or your situation, as after a failure or humiliation, rather than simple sorrow at a loss.
Use 「悲しい」 for ordinary sadness, 「惨め」 for feeling miserable or wretched, 沈痛 for grave, mournful sorrow, 悲愴 for deep, tragic sorrow, and 「ダサい」 only when 'sad' means lame or uncool.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 悲しいかなしいsad
- 悲愴ひそうpathetic
- 沈痛ちんつうgrave
- ダサいuncool
- 惨めみじめmiserable
- 痛ましいいたましいpitiful
- 嘆かわしいなげかわしいlamentable
- 物悲しいものがなしいsad
- 哀れ気あわれげsad
- うら悲しいうらがなしいsad
- 寂々せきせきsad
- あえないdisappointing (end, result, etc.)
- 憂いういunhappy
- 社会不安障害しゃかいふあんしょうがいsocial-anxiety disorder
- 季節性情動障害きせつせいじょうどうしょうがいseasonal affective disorder
- 憂わしいうれわしいwretched
- 憂きうきunhappy
- 哀調を帯びたあいちょうをおびたplaintive (melody, tone, etc.)
- 悵然ちょうぜんdisappointed
- 社交不安障害しゃこうふあんしょうがいsocial anxiety disorder
- 季節性感情障害きせつせいかんじょうしょうがいseasonal affective disorder
- 分離不安障害ぶんりふあんしょうがいseparation anxiety disorder
- 分離不安症ぶんりふあんしょうseparation anxiety disorder
- 季節性気分障害きせつせいきぶんしょうがいseasonal affective disorder
- 憫然びんぜんpitiable
- ブルーsad
- エモいemo
- 本意ないほいないunfortunate
See also
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