失恋
shitsuren[ɕit͡sɨɾẽ̞ɴ]
In Japanese, the phrase 'broken heart' is translated as 失恋 (shitsuren). Wiktionary also lists ブロークンハート (burōkenhāto).
Meaning: feeling of grief or loss (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 失恋 | shitsuren | [ɕit͡sɨɾẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| ブロークンハート | burōkenhāto |
失恋 is specifically used for the heartbreak resulting from a romantic breakup or unrequited love, rather than general grief.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 失恋 is composed of the characters for 'lose' (失) and 'love' (恋), literally meaning 'lost love'.
Which one should you use?
The katakana form ブロークンハート is a direct phonetic loan from English and is much less common than the native term 失恋.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more formal way to convey that a heart is experiencing significant pain due to emotional distress or heartbreak, one might use 心が痛みます.
How do you pronounce it?
shitsuren
Did you know?
- While 失恋 refers to the loss of love, Japanese has a separate term 失恋擬似体験 for the feeling of heartbreak one gets when watching a fictional couple break up in a movie or drama.
- Japanese speakers might use the phrase 胸が締め付けられる to describe the physical sensation of a broken heart, which literally means 'the chest is being tightened'.
- The character 恋 in 失恋 specifically denotes a romantic longing or yearning, which is distinct from 愛, the word for a more stable, selfless love.
Examples in context
- もうこの失恋の痛みには耐えられない。I can bear this broken heart no longer.This sentence shows how to use 失恋 when describing the unbearable pain of a broken heart.Tatoeba #8513392 by small_snow, translation #31655 by AlanF_US
- 失恋も何もアンタ一つもがんばってないでしょ。You haven't ever had to suffer a broken heart, or anything else, for that matter.This sentence uses 失恋 to suggest that someone has not truly experienced heartbreak or effort.Tatoeba #10489129 by LeeSooHa, translation #10489130 by LeeSooHa
- 失恋の傷はなかなか癒えないものだ。shitsuren no kizu wa nakanaka ienai mono da.The wounds of a broken heart do not heal easily.
Example conversation
Misaki is comforting Hiroto at a cafe.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔、最近元気ないけどどうしたの？Hiroto, saikin genki nai kedo doushita no?Hiroto, you haven't been yourself lately, what happened?
- 大翔 Hiroto実は、ひどい失恋をしたんだ。jitsu wa, hidoi shitsuren o shitan da.Actually, I've had a terrible broken heart.
- 美咲 Misakiそれは大変だったね。話聞くよ。sore wa taihen datta ne. hanashi kiku yo.That must have been hard. I'm here to listen.
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとう。美咲にだけは話したかった。arigatou. Misaki ni dake wa hanashitakatta.Thanks. I wanted to tell you, Misaki.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “broken heart” translations and entries 失恋, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
