Translation guide
How to express the experience of physical or emotional pain in Japanese, from common verbs to nuanced expressions.
To say that a part of the body hurts or that one is in physical pain.
The most common and direct way to say something hurts. Used as an adjective.
Verb meaning 'to ache' or 'to hurt', often used for ongoing or internal pain. Slightly more formal than 痛い.
Literally 'to feel pain'. More descriptive and can be used in medical or formal contexts.
手術の後、痛みを感じた。
I felt pain after the surgery.
Describes a throbbing, dull, persistent pain. Often used for toothaches or old injuries.
虫歯が疼く。
My cavity is throbbing.
To express that one is hurting emotionally, such as heartache or mental suffering.
Literally 'my heart hurts'. A natural way to express emotional pain or guilt.
彼の言葉を聞いて、心が痛い。
Hearing his words, my heart aches.
Similar to 心が痛い, but uses 胸 (chest) to convey a heavy, aching feeling in the heart.
その話を聞くと胸が痛む。
It pains me to hear that story.
Verb meaning 'to suffer', used for both physical and emotional pain. Stronger than 痛い.
Adjective meaning 'painful', 'hard', or 'distressing'. Commonly used for emotional hardship.
To express that you feel someone else's pain or sympathize deeply.
Literally 'I understand your feelings'. A common way to show empathy.
あなたの気持ちがわかるよ。
I feel your pain.
To sympathize or feel compassion. Slightly formal.
彼の状況に同情する。
I sympathize with his situation.
English 'feel pain' often becomes simply 痛い (it hurts) in Japanese. Saying 痛みを感じる is grammatically correct but can sound overly literal or formal in casual speech.
痛い is an adjective describing a state ('it is painful'), while 痛む is a verb describing an ongoing process ('it aches'). Use 痛い for immediate, sharp pain and 痛む for dull, continuous pain.
彼女は失恋で苦しんでいる。
She is suffering from a broken heart.
It's painful to say goodbye.