悲しい
kanashii[ka̠na̠ɕii]
The Japanese word for "sad" is 悲しい (kanashii).
悲しい is used to describe an objective or deep sense of sorrow. While it can be used for general sadness, other terms might be more specific: 憂鬱な conveys a deeper, more prolonged sense of melancholy or depression and the informal ショックだ is used for sudden, overwhelming sadness or disappointment.
Meaning: feeling sorrow (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
kanashii
Did you know?
Examples in context
- 悲しいです。I'm sad.This sentence is useful for stating "I'm sad" using 悲しい.Tatoeba #85970 by bunbuku, translation #317741 by CK
- 悲しいわね。How sad!This sentence is useful for exclaiming "How sad!" using 悲しい.Tatoeba #10194508 by KK_kaku_, translation #5228915 by jaxhere
- 悲しいですか。Are you sad?This sentence is useful for asking "Are you sad?" using 悲しい.Tatoeba #1959229 by bunbuku, translation #1755584 by Betsemes
- 彼との別れは、本当に切なかった。The breakup with him was truly heartbreaking.
- 彼が亡くなったと聞いて、とても悲しい。I heard that he passed away, and I am extremely sad.
- 48 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Talking about a movie ending.
- 大翔 Hiroto映画の最後がとても悲しいでした。Eiga no saigo ga totemo kanashii deshita.The end of the movie was very sad.
- 結衣 Yui本当に。私も泣いてしまいました。Hontō ni. Watashi mo naite shimaimashita.Really. I ended up crying too.
- 大翔 Hiroto悲しい物語でしたが、良かったです。Kanashii monogatari deshita ga, yokatta desu.It was a sad story, but it was good.
- 結衣 Yuiそうですね。心に残る話でした。Sō desu ne. Kokoro ni nokoru hanashi deshita.I agree. It was a story that stays with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sad” translations and entries 悲しい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 悲しい, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
