Translation guide
A state of physical or mental inactivity, sluggishness, or lethargy. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through nouns, adjectives, and descriptive phrases that convey dullness, drowsiness, or lack of energy.
Describing a state of low physical energy, heaviness, or drowsiness, often due to heat, fatigue, or illness.
A common medical and everyday term for a feeling of physical fatigue, languor, or malaise. Often used when feeling unwell or exhausted.
夏の暑さで倦怠感がひどい。
The summer heat is giving me terrible lethargy.
A very common, casual term for physical sluggishness or heaviness, like when you feel too tired to move. Often used for heat-induced lethargy or after illness.
今日はなんだか体がだるい。
My body feels sluggish today for some reason.
Literally 'lack of energy/spirit'. Describes a state of apathy or listlessness, often with a psychological nuance. Can refer to both physical and mental torpor.
無気力で何もする気が起きない。
I feel so listless I can't bring myself to do anything.
A natural, everyday phrase meaning 'my body feels heavy', often used to describe physical torpor or sluggishness.
寝不足で体が重い。
My body feels heavy from lack of sleep.
Refers to a deep stupor or coma, a much more severe state than everyday torpor. Used in medical or dramatic contexts.
患者は昏睡状態に陥った。
The patient fell into a state of torpor.
Describing a state where the mind feels slow, foggy, or unresponsive, often due to tiredness, boredom, or heat.
A very common phrase meaning 'my head feels fuzzy/spaced out'. Perfect for describing mental torpor or brain fog.
暑さで頭がぼんやりして、集中できない。
The heat makes my head feel fuzzy and I can't concentrate.
Also used for mental apathy or lack of motivation, not just physical. See above.
無気力で考えるのも面倒だ。
I'm so listless that even thinking feels like a chore.
A state of mental absence or blankness, like being in a daze. Often used after a shock or when lost in thought.
Referring to the state of reduced physiological activity in animals, such as hibernation or estivation.
Specifically hibernation (winter dormancy). The most common term for animal torpor in cold seasons.
熊は冬の間、冬眠します。
Bears hibernate during the winter.
Estivation (summer dormancy), used for animals that enter torpor during hot, dry periods.
ある種のカエルは乾季に夏眠する。
Some frogs estivate during the dry season.
A general term for dormancy or inactive state, used for plants, animals, or even volcanoes. Can be used for torpor in a biological sense.
There is no single Japanese word that covers all uses of 'torpor'. Choose the expression based on whether you mean physical sluggishness (だるさ, 倦怠感), mental fogginess (頭がぼんやりする), or animal dormancy (冬眠, 休眠).
だるい is an everyday adjective for feeling heavy and sluggish. 倦怠感 is a more formal noun often used in medical or written contexts. In casual speech, だるい is much more common.
彼は放心したように窓の外を見ていた。
He stared out the window as if in a torpor.
昆虫は冬の間、休眠状態に入る。
Insects enter a state of torpor during winter.