痛い
itai[ita̠i]
In Japanese, "it hurts" is expressed as 痛い (itai).
This phrase is used to express that one is experiencing physical pain. The word 痛い can be used as a standalone exclamation to express sudden physical pain, similar to saying "ouch" in English.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that something hurt in the past, use the past tense form 痛かった.
How do you pronounce it?
itai
Did you know?
- Beyond physical pain, 痛い is used as slang to describe someone who is acting so cringeworthy or delusional that it is 'painful' to watch.
- The word 痛い is the root of the term 痛快, which surprisingly means 'exhilarating' or 'refreshing' rather than painful.
- The term 痛い is used in the subculture term 痛車 'itasha', referring to cars decorated with anime characters that are considered 'painfully' loud or embarrassing.
Examples in context
- ここが痛い。It hurts here.This sentence shows how to specify a location of pain using 痛い.Tatoeba #224715 by bunbuku, translation #456097 by lukaszpp
- 痛い！ やめてよ！It hurts! Stop!This sentence uses 痛い as an exclamation of sudden pain.Tatoeba #4871813 by tommy_san, translation #13201834 by LeviHighway
- 痛いところを見せて。Show me where it hurts.This sentence uses 痛い to ask someone to show where the pain is located.Tatoeba #9992464 by small_snow, translation #2234198 by lutao
- お腹が痛いですMy stomach hurts.
- 足が痛くて歩けませんMy leg hurts, and I can't walk.
- 頭が痛いので薬が欲しいですI have a headache, so I need medicine.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a doctor's office.
- 大翔 Hirotoどこが痛いですか？doko ga itai desu ka?Where does it hurt?
- 結衣 Yui喉が痛いです。nodo ga itai desu.My throat hurts.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣さんは、熱もありますか？Yui-san wa, netsu mo arimasu ka?Yui, do you also have a fever?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、少しあります。hai, sukoshi arimasu.Yes, a little.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 痛い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
