痛い
itai[ita̠i]
The Japanese way to say "ouch" is 痛い (itai).
痛い is an expression used to indicate one's own physical pain. While it is commonly used as an exclamation, it also functions as an adjective to describe something that is physically painful, such as a painful wound.
Meaning: expression of one’s own physical pain (intj)
Which one should you use?
痛い is the standard form for an immediate, ongoing sensation of pain. In contrast, the variant 痛っ is a shorter form used specifically for sudden and intense pain. When the pain has just occurred or has already passed, you should use the past tense form 痛かった.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 痛い is used for immediate sensations, whereas the past tense 痛かった is used to express that a pain has just passed or a painful event just occurred.
How do you pronounce it?
itai
Did you know?
- In Japanese slang, 痛い is used to describe someone who is acting cringeworthy or socially oblivious. In this context, it does not refer to physical pain but to a 'painful' level of embarrassment.
- While 'ouch' is an interjection in English, 痛い is grammatically an adjective in Japanese, which is why it can be conjugated into different forms like 痛かった.
- The modern word 痛い evolved from the Old Japanese 痛し, which may have originally functioned as a spontaneous interjection similar to 'ouch'.
Examples in context
- 痛い！蜂に刺された。Ouch!! I've been stung by a bee!!This sentence shows using 痛い to react to being stung by a bee.Tatoeba #125695 by small_snow, translation #278297 by CM
- 痛い！ドアに指挟んだ！Ouch! I stuck my finger in the door!This sentence shows using 痛い to react to sticking a finger in a door.Tatoeba #891341 by bunbuku, translation #892635 by Scott
- 痛い！Ouch!This sentence shows a simple exclamation of 痛い.Tatoeba #6089608 by Sethlang, translation #3758587 by Wuzzy
- うわっ、つまずいた！ 痛い ！Oops, I tripped! Ouch!
- あちゃー、指を打った！ 痛っ ！Ouch, I hit my finger! Ita!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui accidentally bumps her knee against the corner of a table.
- 結衣 Yui痛い！Itai!Ouch!
- 陽太 Yota大丈夫？Daijoubu?Are you okay?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、ちょっと膝をぶつけた。Un, chotto hiza o butsuketa.Yeah, I just bumped my knee.
- 陽太 Yota痛かったね。Itakatta ne.That must have hurt.
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.
