悲しみ
kanashimi[ka̠na̠ɕimʲi]
The English word "sorrow" is translated into Japanese as 悲しみ (kanashimi). Wiktionary also lists 悲哀 (hiai).
Meaning: unhappiness (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 悲しみ | kanashimi | [ka̠na̠ɕimʲi] (narrow) |
| 悲哀 | hiai | [çia̠i] (narrow) |
悲しみ is one of the most frequently used words for sorrow in Japanese. While it refers to the feeling of sorrow, the related term 悲しさ can be used to emphasize the specific state or quality of being sorrowful.
Which one should you use?
悲しみ (kanashimi) is the common, everyday word for sorrow or sadness. In contrast, 悲哀 (hiai) is a more formal, literary term often used in academic or artistic contexts to describe a profound sense of pathos or grief.
How do you pronounce it?
kanashimi
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, the concept of 'mono no aware' refers to a bittersweet sorrow caused by the fleeting nature of beauty, such as falling cherry blossoms.
- In Japanese, the kanji for 'sorrow' (悲) contains the radical for 'heart' (心) at the bottom, visually reinforcing that the emotion is felt deeply within the core of one's being.
- In traditional Japanese theater like Noh, sorrow is often expressed through extremely minimal facial movements and slow, controlled gestures.
Examples in context
- 深い悲しみを覚えた。I felt a deep sorrow.This sentence shows how to use 悲しみ to describe feeling a deep sorrow.Tatoeba #12703170 by small_snow, translation #10238344 by ddnktr
- 悲しみで胸がいっぱいだ。I am filled with sorrow.This sentence illustrates being filled with 悲しみ.Tatoeba #85952 by bunbuku, translation #317759 by Denizar
- 悲しみあってこその幸せだ。Sorrow exists precisely because there is happiness.This sentence uses 悲しみ to express the relationship between sorrow and happiness.Tatoeba #11569707 by small_snow, translation #13728793 by terrywallwork
- 彼の死を聞いて、悲しみが私を包み込んだ。Upon hearing about his death, sorrow engulfed me.
- その映画の結末に感動して涙が流れた。悲しかった。I was moved to tears by the ending of that movie. It was sorrowful.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Yui are talking about a sad movie they just watched.
- 大翔 Hirotoあの映画は、悲しみが深く伝わってくるね。Ano eiga wa, kanashimi ga fukaku tsutawatte kuru ne.That movie really conveys a deep sense of sorrow.
- 結衣 Yuiうん。最後の方は涙が止まらなかったよ。Un. Saigo no hou wa namida ga tomaranakatta yo.Yeah. I couldn't stop crying toward the end.
- 大翔 Hiroto主人公の悲しみは、想像を絶していたな。Shujinkou no kanashimi wa, souzou o zesshite ita na.The protagonist's sorrow was beyond imagination.
- 結衣 Yui本当に。心に深く残る物語だったね。Hontou ni. Kokoro ni fukaku nokoru monogatari datta ne.Truly. It was a story that left a deep impression on my heart.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sorrow” translations and entries 悲しみ, 悲哀, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
