羨ましいな
urayamashii na
The English phrase "I envy you" is translated into Japanese as 羨ましいな (urayamashii na).
This phrase is used to express that you wish you had something that another person possesses. You can add the word 本当に before the adjective to add emphasis to your expression of envy.
Which one should you use?
羨ましいな includes the particle な, which functions as a sentence-ending particle that adds a sense of emotional emphasis or a sigh-like quality, often used when expressing a personal feeling of longing.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the expression polite, you add the auxiliary verb です to the end, resulting in 羨ましいです.
How do you pronounce it?
urayamashii na
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'envy' to describe both positive admiration and malicious resentment, 羨ましい is almost exclusively used in a positive, lighthearted way to express 'I am jealous in a good way'.
- If you feel a much darker, more malicious type of envy towards someone, you would not use 羨ましい but would instead use the word 妬ましい, which carries a heavy sense of resentment.
- In social settings, saying 羨ましい is often viewed as a compliment and a way to validate the other person's success or happiness.
Examples in context
- あなたの成功は、うらやましいです。Your success is enviable.
- あのクラブに入れたんだって？うらやましいな！You got into that club? So jealous!
- あの人は毎日旅行しているんだって。羨ましいよ。I heard that person travels every day. I envy them!
- 本当に羨ましいですねI'm truly envious.
- その休み時間は羨ましいな。Sono yasumi jikan wa urayamashii na.I envy that time off.
- 新しい車、羨ましいな。Atarashii kuruma, urayamashii na.I envy your new car.
- 英語が上手で、羨ましいな。Eigo ga jouzu de, urayamashii na.I envy how good your English is.
Example conversation
Hii and Daisho are talking about their weekend plans.
- 陽葵 Himari今週末は北海道に行くんだよ。Konshumatsu wa Hokkaido ni iku n da yo.I'm going to Hokkaido this weekend.
- 大翔 Hirotoえっ、羨ましいな！Eh, urayamashii na!What, I envy you!
- 陽葵 Himari美味しいものをたくさん食べるつもり。Oishii mono o takusan taberu tsumori.I plan to eat lots of delicious food.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいなあ。お土産期待してるね。Ii naa. Omiyage kitai shiteru ne.That's great. I'll be looking forward to the souvenirs.
