痛い
itai[ita̠i]
The English phrase "hurts" is expressed in Japanese as 痛い (itai).
痛い is used to describe an immediate sensation of physical pain rather than a chronic condition or a medical diagnosis. It can also be used to describe emotional pain.
Which one should you use?
While 痛い describes a general sensation of pain, 疼きます is a more formal phrase specifically used to refer to a dull, persistent ache. The colloquial 痛っ is a contracted form of 痛い.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express physical pain, you can use the pattern "body part + が痛い". The past tense of 痛い is 痛かった. Adding です to 痛い creates the polite form 痛いです. To express emotional pain specifically, the phrase 心が痛む can be used to mean "my heart hurts".
How do you pronounce it?
itai
Did you know?
- In modern slang, 痛い is used to describe a person who is acting cringeworthy or embarrassing. It describes someone whose social awkwardness is so intense that it is physically painful for others to watch.
- The word 痛い might have originally started as a simple vocal interjection like the English 'ouch' or 'ow', rather than a formal adjective.
- In certain contexts, saying 痛い can be a playful way to tell someone their comment was a 'low blow' or too honest, even if no one is physically injured.
Examples in context
- 頭が痛いな。My head hurts.This sentence is useful for describing a headache using 痛い.Tatoeba #123868 by bunbuku, translation #456425 by lukaszpp
- ここが痛い。It hurts here.This sentence is useful for pointing to a specific location of pain using 痛い.Tatoeba #224715 by bunbuku, translation #456097 by lukaszpp
- 体中が痛い。My whole body hurts.This sentence is useful for describing pain across the entire body using 痛い.Tatoeba #226181 by bunbuku, translation #7923942 by shekitten
- 「足が痛いです」My leg hurts.
- 「胸が疼きます」My chest hurts.
- 「歯が痛い」My tooth hurts.
- 「お腹が痛いな」My stomach hurts.
- 足が痛いMy leg hurts
- 頭が痛いI have a headache
- 背中が痛いMy back hurts
- 心が痛むTo convey sorrow, grief, or heartache
- 88 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are at home after a long walk.
- 結衣 Yui足がすごく痛いよ。Ashi ga sugoku itai yo.My legs hurt so much.
- 健太 Kenta大丈夫？少し休もう。Daijoubu? Sukoshi yasumou.Are you okay? Let's rest a bit.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう、健太くん。Arigatou, Kenta-kun.Thanks, Kenta.
- 健太 Kenta無理しないでね。Muri shinai de ne.Don't overdo it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 痛い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 痛い, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
