惨めな
mijime na
The English word "miserable" can be translated into Japanese using 惨めな (mijime na) or 悲惨な.
Meaning: in a state of misery (adj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 惨めな | mijime na |
| 悲惨な | hisan na |
The word refers to being in a state of misery.
Which one should you use?
The choice between these forms depends on whether the misery is internal or external. 惨めな is typically used to describe a person's subjective feeling of being pathetic, wretched or humiliated. In contrast, 悲惨な is used to describe an objective state or situation that is tragic, disastrous or calamitous.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the past tense of 惨めな, change the ending to 惨めだった.
How do you pronounce it?
mijime na
Did you know?
- Unlike English, which uses 'miserable' for both weather and mood, Japanese speakers would never use 惨めな to describe a rainy day.
- The reading of the kanji 惨 can also be 'san', as seen in words related to cruelty or ferocity, adding a darker edge to the word's history.
- If you feel 'miserable' because of a small mistake, a Japanese speaker might use the word 情けない instead of 惨めな, as the latter feels too heavy and existential.
Examples in context
- 彼女のせいで、彼は悲惨な生活を送った。Because of her, he lived a miserable life.This sentence shows how to use 悲惨な to describe a life lived in a tragic or miserable state.Tatoeba #1167069 by bunbuku, translation #388314 by CK
- 彼の死で、私はつらい気持ちになりました。His death made me feel miserable.
- 地震の後、街は悲惨な光景になりました。After the earthquake, the town became a miserable sight.
- 失恋したので、とても辛かったです。I went through a heartbreaking experience, so I was really miserable.
- 彼に利用されたので、とても惨めな気分です。I feel very miserable because I was taken advantage of by him.
- 試験に落ちてしまって、完全にダメダメだなと思います。I completely feel miserable after failing the exam.
- 試合に負けて、彼は惨めな気分になった。Shiai ni makete, kare wa mijime na kibun ni natta.After losing the match, he felt miserable.
- 雨の中で待つのは、とても惨めな経験だ。Ame no naka de matsu no wa, totemo mijime na keiken da.Waiting in the rain is a truly miserable experience.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are talking about a character in a movie.
- 陽葵 Himariあの映画の主人公は、とても惨めな生活を送っていたね。Ano eiga no shujinkou wa, totemo mijime na seikatsu o okutte ita ne.The protagonist in that movie was living a very miserable life, wasn't he?
- 蓮 Renそうだね。彼は本当に不幸な人だった。Sou da ne. Kare wa hontou ni fukou na hito datta.You're right. He was a truly unhappy man.
- 陽葵 Himari結末も、とても惨めなものだったよ。Ketsumatsu mo, totemo mijime na mono datta yo.The ending was also a very miserable one.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵の言う通り、胸が痛くなる話だった。Himari no iu toori, mune ga itaku naru hanashi datta.Just as you say, Himari, it was a heart-wrenching story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “miserable” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
