Translation guide
Languor describes a state of pleasant tiredness, dreamy relaxation, or lack of energy. Japanese expresses this through words for fatigue, laziness, or a hazy atmosphere, depending on the nuance.
To describe a state of pleasant, dreamy exhaustion, often from heat or idleness.
A noun meaning a languid, listless feeling, often pleasant or dreamy. Commonly used for the languor of a hot afternoon.
夏の午後のけだるさが好きだ。
I like the languor of a summer afternoon.
A noun expressing a dreamy, listless melancholy. Slightly more poetic than けだるさ.
春の陽気にものうさを感じる。
I feel a languor in the spring warmth.
A more formal or medical term for a feeling of weariness or languor. Can imply a heavier fatigue.
倦怠感に包まれて、何もする気が起きない。
Overcome by languor, I can't bring myself to do anything.
To describe a state of low energy, inertia, or unwillingness to move.
A common word for physical sluggishness or heaviness, often from illness or heat. Less dreamy than けだるさ.
熱で体にだるさがある。
I feel languor in my body from the fever.
A noun meaning apathy or lack of motivation. Used for mental languor rather than physical.
無気力で一日中ベッドにいた。
Out of languor, I stayed in bed all day.
A formal word for laziness or indolence. Can carry a negative moral judgment, unlike the neutral 'languor'.
怠惰 implies moral failing or sloth, which may be stronger than intended.
To describe a heavy, motionless atmosphere, often in nature or a room.
A noun for stagnation in air or water, or a stagnant, oppressive atmosphere. Can metaphorically describe a languorous mood.
部屋に淀みがあって、息が詰まりそうだ。
There's a languor in the room, it's suffocating.
A noun for a gloomy, oppressive feeling, often from weather. Can convey the heaviness of languor.
梅雨のうっとうしさに気が滅入る。
The languor of the rainy season depresses me.
怠惰な生活を送っている。
I'm leading a life of languor.