Translation guide
The English word "hurt" covers physical pain, emotional pain, and causing harm. Japanese uses different words depending on whether you feel pain, are injured, or cause pain to someone else. This guide breaks down the most useful expressions for learners.
To say that a part of your body is in pain.
The most common and direct way to say something hurts. Used as an adjective.
Verb meaning to ache or feel pain, often used for ongoing or internal pain.
傷が痛む。
The wound hurts.
To say that you injured a specific body part.
Means to injure or hurt a body part. Often used for sprains, strains, or overuse injuries.
腰を痛めた。
I hurt my back.
ひざを痛めて、歩けません。
I hurt my knee and can't walk.
General term for getting injured. Can be used for any kind of injury.
昨日、足にけがをしました。
I hurt my leg yesterday.
To express that someone's feelings are hurt or they are emotionally wounded.
Intransitive verb meaning to be hurt emotionally, to have one's feelings hurt.
彼の言葉に傷ついた。
I was hurt by his words.
そんなこと言われて、傷つくよ。
It hurts when you say things like that.
Literally 'heart aches', used for deep emotional pain or sympathy.
その話を聞いて、心が痛みました。
Hearing that story hurt my heart.
To say that you hurt someone else physically.
Transitive verb meaning to hurt or injure someone physically or emotionally.
彼を傷つけるつもりはなかった。
I didn't mean to hurt him.
Literally 'to make someone have a painful experience', used for causing physical pain.
子供に痛い思いをさせてしまった。
I ended up hurting the child.
To say that you hurt someone's feelings.
Same verb as physical harm, but used for emotional hurt. Very common.
彼女の気持ちを傷つけてしまった。
I hurt her feelings.
More explicit: 'hurt someone's heart'.
その冗談は彼の心を傷つけた。
That joke hurt his feelings.
To exclaim when you suddenly feel pain.
Simple exclamation like 'Ouch!' or 'It hurts!'.
痛い！何か刺さった。
Ouch! Something stung me.
Casual, abrupt version of 痛い, often used by men.
いてっ！ぶつけた。
Ow! I bumped it.
To say that someone is not hurt or was not injured.
Standard way to say 'not injured'.
幸い、けがはありませんでした。
Fortunately, I wasn't hurt.
Means 'safe' or 'unharmed', often used after accidents.
全員無事です。
Everyone is unhurt.
痛い is only for physical pain. Saying 心が痛い is unnatural; use 傷つく or 心が痛む instead.
痛める is for injuring a body part (sprain, strain). 傷つける is for wounding or hurting someone physically or emotionally. けがをする is a general term for getting injured.