哀あわれ

あ

わ

れ

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

noun

pity; compassion; sorrow

A feeling of deep sympathy or sadness for someone's misfortune; often used in literary or emotional contexts.

彼かれの境きょう遇ぐうに哀あわれを感かんじた。
I felt pity for his circumstances.

2

na-adjective

pitiful; miserable; pathetic

Describes someone or something that evokes pity due to being wretched or helpless; can be used as a な-adjective.

捨すてられた子こ犬いぬが哀あわれだった。
The abandoned puppy was pitiful.
彼かれの哀あわれな姿すがたを見みて、涙なみだが出でた。
Seeing his miserable figure, tears came to my eyes.

3

interjection

alas; alack

An archaic or literary interjection expressing sorrow or regret; rarely used in modern conversation.

哀あわれ、すべては夢ゆめと消きえた。
Alas, everything vanished like a dream.

Written forms

哀れUsage64%
- あわれ
  Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
- あはれ
  out-dated reading
あわれUsage20%
Kana spelling; used when the kanji is avoided or for emphasis in literary contexts.
あはれUsage12%
out-dated reading
憐れUsage4%
- あわれ
  Alternate kanji spelling; less common and may carry a slightly more literary or classical feel.
- あはれ
  out-dated reading
憫れUsage<1%
- あわれ
  Very rare kanji spelling; not recommended for general use.
- あはれ
  out-dated reading

Kanji

哀pathetic, grief, sorrow
憐pity, have mercy, sympathise
憫anxiety, mercy

Similar words

同どう情じょう
同情 is a more formal and objective term for sympathy, while 哀れ carries a stronger emotional and literary nuance of pity or pathos.
可哀想かわいそう
可哀想 is the common everyday word for 'pitiful' or 'poor thing,' whereas 哀れ is more literary and can also refer to a deeper sense of sorrow or the pitiful state itself.

Etymology

Derived from the classical Japanese exclamation あはれ, which expressed deep emotion, including both sorrow and appreciation of beauty (mono no aware). The kanji 哀 and 憐 were later applied to represent the sorrowful aspect.