Quick Guide: Learning to express your Feelings and Emotions in Japanese

How do you express your emotions in Japanese? If you’re learning Japanese, it’s helpful to know how to let other know what you’re feeling. We’ve gathered a quick list of essential words that might come in handy. Nevertheless, don’t worry about memorizing too much!

Japanese Verbs to Express Emotion

Happiness

• 笑（わら）う – laugh
• 褒（ほ）める – encourage
• 喜（よろこ）ぶ – celebrate, to be jubilant, to have joy
• 好(この)むー to like/prefer

Sadness

• 慰（なぐさ）める – consoling someone
• 悲（かな）しむ – feeling sad
• 泣（な）く – cry

Anger

• 怒（おこ）る – feeling angry
• 叱（しか）る – scold

Bore, Shock, Gratitude

• あきる、飽（あ）きる – feeling disinterested, bored, tired or weary
• 驚（おどろ）く – to be astonished, to be surprised
• 感謝（かんしゃ）するー feeling grateful
• びっくりするー to feel surprised, amazed or frightened

Adjectives for Expressing Emotions in Japanese

• 嬉うれしい – happy
• 悲（かな）しい – sad
• 恥（は）ずかしい ー shy
• 寂（さび）しい、淋しい – lonely
• 怖（こわ）い、恐い – scary
• 辛（つら）い – painful, heart-breaking
• 苦（くる）しい – difficult, agonizing, feeling forced
• 懐（なつ）かしい – to endear, desire or miss something

Among the various expressions existing to express emotions in Japanese, 感動（かんどう）する, though not mentioned above, is a beautiful one. Consisting of the Kanji for “Feeling” and “Movement”, this verb is used to express a strong feeling, especially of sadness or sympathy. The English Translation for this would be to feel touched or moved by someone.

Start taking Japanese lessons and learn how to express emotions in Japanese