Translation guide
The emotional pain of lost love or deep disappointment. Japanese expresses this through nouns, verbs, and idiomatic phrases, often emphasizing the physical sensation of a breaking or aching heart.
Expressing the state or feeling of romantic heartbreak or deep emotional pain from lost love.
The most common and direct term for romantic heartbreak or unrequited love. It refers to the experience of a failed love, not just the feeling.
失恋して、何も手につかない。
I'm so heartbroken I can't focus on anything.
彼は失恋の痛みから立ち直れない。
He can't get over the pain of his heartbreak.
Literally 'my chest feels like it's going to burst/tear apart'. A vivid, natural way to describe the intense emotional pain of heartbreak.
彼に振られて、胸が張り裂けそうだ。
He dumped me and my heart is breaking.
A more literary or formal term for a broken heart or deep emotional wound. Often used in writing or song lyrics.
傷心の彼女は旅に出た。
Heartbroken, she went on a journey.
Literally 'one's heart breaks/snaps'. Used for emotional devastation, not limited to romance; can refer to losing spirit or motivation.
あの別れで完全に心が折れた。
That breakup completely broke my heart.
The pain of heartbreak. A straightforward phrase combining 'heartbreak' and 'pain'.
失恋の痛みを癒すには時間がかかる。
It takes time to heal the pain of heartbreak.
Describing a deep, aching sadness that feels physically painful, often beyond just romantic loss.
Literally 'my chest aches'. A common expression for heartache, empathy, or emotional pain.
その話を聞いて胸が痛んだ。
Hearing that story broke my heart.
Literally 'my chest is being squeezed'. Describes a tight, suffocating feeling of sadness or heartbreak.
彼の悲しそうな顔を見ると胸が締め付けられる。
Seeing his sad face makes my heart ache.
Extreme grief or anguish, often used in formal or literary contexts. Stronger and more dramatic than everyday heartbreak.
Focusing on the event of romantic rejection or breakup that causes heartbreak.
To be dumped or rejected by a romantic partner. The passive form of 振る (to dump). Very common and colloquial.
昨日彼氏に振られた。
I got dumped by my boyfriend yesterday.
振られて落ち込んでいる。
I'm feeling down after being dumped.
To experience heartbreak or unrequited love. The verb form of 失恋.
また失恋してしまった。
I've had my heart broken again.
失恋 is the standard, everyday word for romantic heartbreak and is widely understood. 傷心 is more literary and dramatic, often appearing in novels or lyrics. For casual conversation, 失恋 or phrases like 胸が痛む are more natural.
The literal translation 心臓破壊 (しんぞうはかい) or similar is not used in Japanese to mean emotional heartbreak. Stick to the expressions listed above.
失恋の痛みは時間が癒してくれる。
Time heals all heartbreak.
彼女はまだ傷心を癒している。
She's still nursing a broken heart.
I can't forget her heart-wrenching cry.