不安
fuan[ɸɯ̟ã̠ɴ]
The Japanese word for insecure is 不安 (fuan).
While translated as 'insecure' in many contexts, 不安 is more commonly used as a noun meaning 'anxiety', 'uneasiness' or 'insecurity'.
Meaning: not comfortable in certain situations (adj)
Which one should you use?
If you want to say 'insecure' in the sense of lacking confidence in your own abilities, Japanese speakers often use 自信がない (to lack confidence) instead of 不安.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use the noun-forming form 不安 as an adjective to modify a noun, it becomes 不安な. A natural way to express the feeling of being insecure is to use the verb phrase 不安を感じる (to feel insecure or to feel anxiety).
How do you pronounce it?
fuan
Did you know?
- The word 不安 is composed of the characters for 'not' and 'peace'. While English speakers use 'insecure' to describe a lack of confidence, a Japanese speaker using 不安 is literally describing a state of being 'without peace'.
- In Japanese culture, admitting to feeling 不安 is often seen as a sign of sincerity and humility, whereas in some Western contexts, it might be viewed as a lack of professional strength.
- In a professional setting, telling a boss you are 不安 might sound like you are expressing a lack of faith in the company's stability rather than your own personal nerves.
Examples in context
- 彼女は自分の将来に不安を感じた。She felt insecure about her future.This sentence is useful for showing how to express feeling insecure about the future using 不安.Tatoeba #89019 by bunbuku, translation #314688 by CK
- 彼は自分の仕事の成果について不安を感じている。He feels insecure about his job performance.
- 彼はプレゼンテーションの成功に手ごたえがなく、少し不安です。He lacks confidence in the success of the presentation and feels a little insecure.
- 日本語で話すのに自信がなくて、ちょっと不安です。I feel insecure about speaking in Japanese.
- 一人で夜道を歩くのは不安です。Hitori de yomichi o aruku no wa fuan desu.I feel insecure walking alone on the road at night.
- 新しい環境に不安があります。Atarashii kankyou ni fuan ga arimasu.I feel insecure in the new environment.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about a new project.
- 美咲 Misakiこの計画、少し不安だな。Kono keikaku, sukoshi fuan dana.I feel a bit insecure about this plan.
- 健太 Kentaどうして不安なの？Doushite fuan nano?Why are you feeling insecure?
- 美咲 Misaki準備の時間が足りないと思うから。Junbi no jikan ga tarinai to omou kara.Because I think we don't have enough time to prepare.
- 健太 Kenta大丈夫だよ。僕が手伝うよ。Daijoubu dayo. Boku ga tetsudau yo.It's okay. I will help you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 不安, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
