Translation guide
An exclamation of sudden pain, surprise, or mild distress. In Japanese, the equivalent interjection depends on the situation and the speaker's age, gender, and formality level.
Expressing a sharp, sudden physical pain, like stubbing a toe or getting a paper cut.
The most common and natural exclamation for sudden pain. Used by all genders and ages in casual situations. The small っ indicates a sharp, abrupt sound.
Ow! I hit my foot.
A slightly more colloquial or masculine variant of 痛っ. Common in casual speech, especially among men.
いてっ！釘を踏んだ。
Ow! I stepped on a nail.
A more drawn-out or emphatic version of 痛っ, often used by women or children. Sounds slightly more dramatic.
あいたっ！指を切っちゃった。
Ow! I cut my finger.
Literally 'it hurts.' Can be used as an exclamation, but it's less immediate than 痛っ. More likely to be used when describing ongoing pain rather than a sudden shock.
痛い！まだ痛いよ。
Ow! It still hurts.
Reacting to an unexpected, unpleasant surprise, like a sudden loud noise or a minor accident.
A short exclamation of surprise or alarm. Similar to 'whoa' or 'ah' in English. Used by all genders.
わっ！びっくりした。
Ow! You scared me.
A very common exclamation for mild surprise or realization. Can be used for 'ow' when the surprise is more prominent than the pain.
あっ！熱っ！
Ow! That's hot!
A stronger exclamation of shock or disgust. Often used when something unpleasant happens suddenly.
うわっ！水がかかった。
Ow! Water splashed on me.
Saying 'ow' when someone else gets hurt, expressing empathy.
Literally 'looks painful.' Used to express sympathy when seeing someone else get hurt. Not an exclamation of your own pain.
痛そう…大丈夫？
Ow, that looks painful... Are you okay?
An empathetic exclamation, often used when watching someone else get hurt, like in a video. It's like saying 'ouch ouch ouch' in sympathy.
いたたた…見てるだけで痛い。
Ow ow ow... It hurts just watching.
痛っ (ita!) is an interjection for sudden pain, while 痛い (itai) is an adjective meaning 'painful.' Use 痛っ when you stub your toe; use 痛い when describing a headache or injury.
痛っ！今の痛かった。
Ow! That hurt just now.
頭が痛い。
My head hurts.
In formal or professional situations, Japanese people typically suppress exclamations of pain. Saying 痛っ in a business meeting would be considered childish. Instead, you might quietly say すみません (excuse me) or nothing at all.
すみません、少しぶつけました。
Excuse me, I just bumped myself a little.