慰め
nagusame[na̠ɡɯ̟sa̠me̞]
The English word "comfort" translates to Japanese as 慰め (nagusame).
The noun 慰め is used to describe the act of providing emotional solace or the consolation itself. When you want to describe the action of comforting someone, you use the verb form 慰める.
Meaning: cause of relief or satisfaction (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
nagusame
Did you know?
- Using 慰める 'nagusameru' to comfort a superior in a professional setting can be seen as rude, as it implies the speaker is in a position of strength or wisdom.
- The kanji used in 慰め, which is 慰, contains the radical for 'person' and 'speech'. This visually encodes the idea that comfort is a human interaction involving communication.
- In traditional Japanese theater and literature, 慰め can be linked to the idea of calming the spirits of the deceased to prevent them from haunting the living.
Examples in context
- 僕らはトムを慰める必要がある。We need to comfort Tom.This sentence shows how to express the necessity of comforting someone using 慰め.Tatoeba #8075144 by Ninja, translation #8071452 by CK
- 彼女は激しく泣いたが、誰も慰めに来なかった。She cried and cried, but no one came to comfort her.This sentence illustrates a situation where someone is not comforted using 慰め.Tatoeba #90325 by small_snow, translation #313389 by CM
- ええ、安心しました。Yes, I'm relieved.
- はい、安心してください。Yes, please rest assured.
- このソファー、心地いいね。This sofa is comfortable, isn't it?
- ええ、本当に心地いい。Yes, it's really comfortable.
- 一緒にいると、気持ちいい。Being together feels comforting.
- 彼の言葉は、私にとって大きな慰めになりました。Kare no kotoba wa, watashi ni totte ookina nagusame ni narimashita.His words were a great comfort to me.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a cafe, a woman is feeling down after a long day.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さん、何かあったの？Misaki-san, nani ka atta no?Misaki, did something happen?
- 美咲 Misaki仕事でミスをして、すごく落ち込んでいるの。Shigoto de misu o shite, sugoku ochikonde iru no.I made a mistake at work and I'm feeling really down.
- 大翔 Hiroto僕の話が、君の慰めになればいいんだけど。Boku no hanashi ga, kimi no nagusame ni nareba ii ndakedo.I hope my words can be some comfort to you.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔さんの優しさに、とても救われます。Hiroto-san no yasashisa ni, totemo sukuwaremasu.I am truly comforted by your kindness, Hiroto.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 慰め, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
