Translation guide
The state of being emotionally distant or separated from someone or something, often after a close relationship. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through various words and phrases that emphasize emotional distance, alienation, or the breaking of ties.
Describing a feeling of being disconnected or distant from a partner, family member, or friend.
Refers to a state of being out of touch or estranged, often due to gradual loss of contact. Commonly used for relationships that have grown distant.
彼とは最近疎遠になっている。
I've become estranged from him lately.
Literally 'hearts grow apart', used to describe emotional estrangement in a relationship.
長い間会っていないと、心が離れてしまうこともある。
If you don't see each other for a long time, you can become emotionally estranged.
A gap or distance, often emotional, that has formed between people.
二人の間に大きな隔たりができてしまった。
A great estrangement has grown between the two of them.
Feeling isolated or disconnected from a community, workplace, or society at large.
A sense of alienation or being left out. Often used in social or organizational contexts.
新しい職場で疎外感を感じている。
I feel a sense of estrangement at my new workplace.
Isolation, being cut off from others. Stronger than mere distance; implies being alone or unsupported.
A psychological state of being disconnected from oneself, one's emotions, or one's true nature.
Self-alienation; a psychological term for estrangement from one's own self or feelings.
過労で自己疎外に陥ることもある。
Overwork can lead to self-estrangement.
To lose sight of oneself; a common expression for feeling estranged from one's identity.
忙しすぎて自分を見失いそうだ。
I'm so busy I feel estranged from myself.
A deliberate and often permanent breaking off of family ties or close bonds.
Disownment or severing of relations, especially in family contexts. Stronger and more formal than 疎遠.
彼は父親と絶縁した。
He estranged himself from his father.
To cut ties; a common phrase for ending a relationship completely.
疎遠 (soen) implies a gradual drifting apart, often without a dramatic event. 絶縁 (zetsuen) is a deliberate, often formal severance, like disowning a family member. Use 疎遠 for natural distance, 絶縁 for intentional cutting off.
The English word 'estrangement' covers a wide range of situations. Avoid directly translating it as a single Japanese word in all contexts. Choose the term that matches the specific type of distance or alienation.
He is estranged from his classmates.
親と縁を切るのは簡単ではない。
It's not easy to become estranged from your parents.