Translation guide
How to express feeling discouraged, losing motivation, or being disheartened in Japanese. Covers emotional states, external discouragement, and common phrases.
Expressing a personal feeling of discouragement, loss of confidence, or being downhearted.
The most common way to say you feel discouraged or disappointed. It's a general term for when things don't go as hoped.
試験に落ちてがっかりした。
I was discouraged when I failed the exam.
To feel down or depressed, often after a setback. Stronger than がっかり, implies a lingering low mood.
仕事でミスをして落ち込んでいる。
I made a mistake at work and feel discouraged.
To feel gloomy or dispirited. Often used when the discouragement comes from a situation that feels heavy or oppressive.
雨が続くと気がめいる。
Continuous rain makes me feel discouraged.
A formal, literary expression meaning to be dejected or dispirited. Used in writing or formal speech.
彼はその知らせを聞いて意気消沈した。
He was discouraged upon hearing the news.
When discouragement leads to a loss of drive or desire to keep trying.
To lose motivation. Very common in everyday speech when you feel discouraged from continuing an effort.
何度も失敗してやる気をなくした。
I failed so many times I got discouraged.
To suffer a setback or be frustrated in one's plans. Implies a significant obstacle that causes discouragement.
起業に挫折して、しばらく落ち込んだ。
I was discouraged by the failure of my startup and felt down for a while.
Literally 'one's heart breaks'. A colloquial way to say you've lost the will to continue due to discouragement.
厳しいトレーニングに心が折れそうだ。
The tough training is making me feel discouraged.
When an external factor causes you to feel discouraged, such as criticism or a difficult situation.
Passive form of がっかりする, meaning 'to be discouraged by ~'. Use with a person or event.
彼の態度にがっかりさせられた。
I was discouraged by his attitude.
To be disheartened or disappointed by something. Slightly more formal than がっかり.
結果に落胆した。
I was discouraged by the results.
To have one's spirit dampened or be discouraged by something. Often used when enthusiasm is curbed.
彼の一言で気をくじかれた。
I was discouraged by his single remark.
Actively trying to dissuade or discourage another person from an action.
To dissuade someone from doing something. The causative form of 思いとどまる (to refrain).
彼を留学から思いとどまらせようとした。
I tried to discourage him from studying abroad.
To make someone stop doing something. A direct way to discourage an action.
危ないから子供をやめさせた。
I discouraged the child from doing it because it was dangerous.
Literally 'to pour water on ~'. An idiomatic way to say you discourage or dampen someone's enthusiasm.
彼の提案に水を差すようなことを言った。
I said something that discouraged his proposal.
がっかり is a momentary feeling of disappointment, while 落ち込む describes a deeper, longer-lasting state of depression or discouragement. Use がっかり for everyday letdowns and 落ち込む when the feeling lingers.
映画がつまらなくてがっかりした。
I was disappointed (discouraged) because the movie was boring.
失恋して落ち込んでいる。
I'm feeling discouraged/depressed after a breakup.
Avoid directly translating 'discouraged' as 落胆する in casual speech; it sounds stiff. In most daily situations, がっかりする or 落ち込む are more natural.