痛い
itai[ita̠i]
The Japanese word for "sore" is 痛い (itai).
痛い is used to describe a wide range of physical sensations, including sharp pain, dull aches and soreness. While English often distinguishes between being "painful" and being "sore," Japanese typically uses 痛い for both.
Meaning: causing pain (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
痛い is an i-adjective.
How do you pronounce it?
itai
Did you know?
- In Japanese pop culture, the term 痛車 describes 'itasha', which are cars decorated with colorful anime characters. The name comes from 痛い because the owner's wallet 'hurts' from the cost or because the style is 'cringey'.
- The word 痛い can be used as a slang term to describe someone who is 'cringey' or socially awkward. In this context, it suggests that watching the person's behavior is so painful it causes physical distress.
- While 痛い describes the sensation of pain, Japanese people often use the phrase 痛いところを突かれた to mean 'you hit the nail on the head' or 'you touched on a sensitive subject'.
Examples in context
- あごが痛い。My jaw is sore.This sentence is useful for describing a sore jaw using 痛い.Tatoeba #3506675 by arnab, translation #3507572 by CK
- 目が痛いです。My eyes are sore.This sentence is useful for describing sore eyes using 痛い.Tatoeba #79989 by bunbuku, translation #323728 by CK
- 腕が痛いんだ。My arm is sore.This sentence is useful for describing a sore arm using 痛い.Tatoeba #11667981 by bunbuku, translation #9841929 by shekitten
- 足痛いよMy leg is sore.
- 頭がガンガンするI have a pounding headache.
- 胸が痛いです。My chest hurts.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a sports injury.
- 陽葵 Himari足が痛い？Ashi ga itai?Is your leg sore?
- 蓮 Renうん、すごく痛い。Un, sugoku itai.Yeah, it's really sore.
- 陽葵 Himari大丈夫？無理しないでね。Daijoubu? Muri shinaide ne.Are you okay? Don't overdo it.
- 蓮 Renありがとう。少し休むよ。Arigatou. Sukoshi yasumu yo.Thanks. I'll rest a bit.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 痛い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
