痛い
itai[ita̠i]
In Japanese, the phrase for "that hurts" is 痛い (itai).
The word 痛い is used to express that something is painful. It is also very commonly used as an interjection meaning "Ouch!" when you experience sudden physical pain. For a direct and informal way to say "Ouch, that hurts!" among friends and family, you can say それ痛い！ Adding ね to the end of それ痛い！ makes the expression sound more conversational. Additionally, イタッ！ is a very informal way to express pain that is especially common among younger people.
Which one should you use?
While 痛い is an adjective used to describe the sensation of pain, it is distinct from the verb 痛む, which means "to ache" or "to be in pain".
How does it change in a sentence?
痛い is an i-adjective, which means it can be used directly to express a state of pain without needing a verb like "to be". You can also add the sentence-ending particle よ to the end of 痛い to create 痛いよ, which adds emphasis or provides new information to the listener, often when reacting to sudden pain.
Did you know?
- In modern slang, 痛い is used to describe a person who is acting embarrassingly 'cringey' or delusional. This usage describes a social or emotional 'pain' rather than a physical one.
- The spelling of the slang version イタッ uses katakana, which is typically reserved for foreign words, to emphasize the sharp, sudden sound of the pain.
- The phrase 痛い is frequently used in 'manzai' comedy routines. Comedians often shout it in an exaggerated way when receiving a slap as a rhythmic cue for the audience to laugh.
Examples in context
- 痛い！やめて！That hurts! Stop it!This example shows how to use 痛い to express sudden pain and tell someone to stop.Tatoeba #4297971 by hallelujahaluya, translation #4297291 by trieuho
- 痛いからやめて。That hurts, so stop it.This sentence shows the use of 痛い to provide a reason for wanting someone to stop.Tatoeba #12167709 by small_snow, translation #12219215 by CK
- 痛い！由紀子！痛いよ。グーで殴るのはよせよ！Ow! Yukiko! That hurts! Quit hitting me with your fists!This example demonstrates reacting to sudden pain with 痛い and adding emphasis with 痛いよ.Tatoeba #75863 by bunbuku, translation #327855 by CP
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A woman accidentally bumps into a man's arm in a crowded station.
- 美咲 Misakiすみません、当たっちゃいました。Sumimasen, atatchaimashita.I'm sorry, I bumped into you.
- 健太 Kentaあ、痛い。A, itai.Ah, that hurts.
- 美咲 Misaki本当にごめんなさい！大丈夫ですか？Hontou ni gomennasai! Daijoubu desu ka?I'm really sorry! Are you okay?
- 健太 Kenta大丈夫、少し痛いだけです。Daijoubu, sukoshi itai dake desu.I'm fine, it just hurts a little.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 痛い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
