Translation guide
This guide covers how to express the state of being depressed in Japanese, from clinical depression to everyday sadness. It includes common verbs, adjectives, and phrases, with notes on nuance and usage.
To describe a medical or severe state of depression, often long-term.
To express a general feeling of sadness or low spirits, often temporary.
The most common way to say 'I'm depressed' in everyday conversation. Implies feeling down or discouraged.
To express a more intense, often emotional, depression due to a specific event.
To be sunk in sorrow, implying deep sadness.
To describe a state of economic depression or a slump.
Refers to economic depression or recession.
落ち込んでいる is the most common and natural way to say 'I'm depressed' in daily conversation. 憂鬱だ is more literary and often describes a gloomy mood or weather. For clinical depression, use うつ病だ.
The English phrase 'be depressed' does not have a single direct equivalent in Japanese. Using 落ち込んでいる is usually the safest choice for personal feelings. Do not use うつ病だ unless you mean clinical depression.
I've been feeling depressed lately.
I'm depressed because I failed the exam.
Means gloomy or melancholy. Slightly more literary than 落ち込んでいる.
Rainy days make me depressed.
Literally 'spirit sinks', meaning to feel depressed or heavy-hearted.
I felt depressed after hearing the bad news.
To feel depressed or dispirited. Often used in the form 気が滅入る.
This weather makes me depressed.
He is depressed over a broken heart.
To be crushed or devastated emotionally.
She was depressed by the news.
The world is in a depression.
Means stagnant or depressed, used for business or activity.
The market is depressed.