Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing listlessness involves describing a lack of energy, motivation, or vitality. The most common and versatile word is だるい (darui), which covers physical sluggishness and mental lethargy. Other expressions range from clinical terms for malaise to poetic phrases for ennui.
Describing a heavy, tired feeling in the body, often from fatigue, illness, or heat.
The most common and natural word for feeling physically sluggish, heavy, or lacking energy. Used in everyday conversation for tiredness, laziness, or the lethargy from illness or summer heat.
今日は体がだるい。
I feel listless today.
夏バテでだるくて何もできない。
I'm so listless from the summer heat that I can't do anything.
A more formal or medical term for a sense of fatigue or malaise. Often used in clinical contexts or written descriptions.
倦怠感が続く場合は医師に相談してください。
If the listlessness persists, please consult a doctor.
Emphasizes a languid, dreamy listlessness, often with a slightly poetic or emotional nuance. Can describe a mood of lazy contentment or ennui.
気だるい春の午後、窓辺でぼんやりしていた。
On a listless spring afternoon, I was spacing out by the window.
Describing a state of apathy, lack of drive, or mental fog where one can't muster the will to act.
Literally 'no energy/vitality'. Refers to a mental state of apathy, lethargy, or lack of motivation. Common in psychological contexts or describing burnout.
無気力で何もする気が起きない。
I feel so listless that I can't bring myself to do anything.
彼は最近無気力な状態が続いている。
He has been in a listless state lately.
A very common, natural phrase meaning 'can't get motivated' or 'don't feel like doing anything'. Directly expresses the lack of drive associated with listlessness.
最近やる気が出なくて、ずっと寝てばかりだ。
Lately I've been so listless, I just sleep all the time.
A feeling of emptiness or hollow listlessness, often after a great effort or shock. More literary or psychological.
Describing a relaxed, almost pleasurable state of laziness or dreamy inactivity, often associated with a mood or atmosphere.
Describes a languid, vaguely melancholic listlessness. Often used in literature to evoke a mood of gentle sadness or ennui.
もの憂い気分で一日を過ごした。
I spent the day in a listless mood.
An alternative kanji for もの憂い, emphasizing physical languor. Rare and literary.
慵い午後を過ごす。
Spend a listless afternoon.
A phrase meaning 'languid atmosphere', often used to describe a lazy, listless mood in a place or situation.
カフェのけだるい雰囲気が好きだ。
I like the listless atmosphere of the café.
Describing a state where nothing seems interesting, leading to apathy and inactivity.
A natural way to say 'I'm so bored I feel listless'. Combines boredom with lack of motivation.
退屈で何もする気がしない。
I'm so bored and listless.
A literary term for ennui or listlessness from boredom. Rare in modern speech.
無聊をかこつ。
To bemoan one's listlessness.
だるい is primarily a physical sensation of heaviness or sluggishness, while 無気力 is a mental state of apathy. You can feel だるい without being 無気力, and vice versa, though they often overlap.
熱があって体がだるいが、気持ちは前向きだ。
I have a fever and feel physically listless, but mentally I'm positive.
体は元気なのに、無気力で何もしたくない。
My body feels fine, but I'm so listless I don't want to do anything.
There is no single Japanese noun that perfectly matches 'listlessness' in all contexts. Using a dictionary form like 無気力感 or 倦怠 may sound overly clinical or unnatural in casual speech. Instead, choose an adjective or phrase that fits the specific nuance.
「倦怠」は日常会話ではあまり使わない。
'倦怠' is not commonly used in everyday conversation.
プロジェクトが終わって、彼女は虚脱感に陥った。
She sank into listlessness after the project ended.
More literary, emphasizing emptiness.
目標を失い、虚脱感に襲われた。
Having lost my goal, I was overcome with listlessness.