Translation guide
Expressing envy in Japanese depends on whether the feeling is positive admiration or resentful jealousy. The most common and natural way is to use the adjective 羨ましい (urayamashii), often in the pattern 〜が羨ましい. For stronger, negative envy, 妬ましい (netamashii) or the verb 嫉妬する (shitto suru) are used, but these carry a heavier emotional weight and are less common in casual conversation.
Expressing that you think something someone else has or experiences is nice, and you wish you had it too, without ill will.
I'm so envious of your trip! · She's envious of her friend's new job.
The most common and natural way to say you are envious of something. 羨ましい is an i-adjective meaning 'envious' or 'jealous' in a positive sense. The thing you envy is marked with が.
彼の新しい車が羨ましい。
I'm envious of his new car.
あなたの休暇が羨ましいです。
I'm envious of your vacation.
Used as a standalone exclamation or in a sentence where the object is understood from context.
羨ましい！
I'm so jealous! (positive)
いいなあ、羨ましい。
That's so nice, I'm envious.
A slightly more formal or written way to say 'feel envious'. Often used when describing one's own feelings in a narrative.
彼の成功を羨ましく思う。
I feel envious of his success.
Expressing a stronger, negative feeling of envy that may involve resentment or a desire to deprive someone of what they have.
She was consumed with envy when she saw her rival's award. · He envied his brother's popularity and tried to sabotage him.
An i-adjective for strong, resentful envy. It implies bitterness and is less commonly used than 羨ましい because it's a heavier emotion. Use with caution.
彼女の才能が妬ましい。
I'm bitterly envious of her talent.
A suru-verb meaning 'to be jealous' or 'to envy' in a negative, often romantic or competitive context. It can also mean 'to be jealous' in love.
彼は同僚の昇進に嫉妬している。
He is jealous of his colleague's promotion.
彼女は夫の元恋人に嫉妬した。
She was jealous of her husband's ex-girlfriend.
A less common godan verb meaning 'to envy' or 'to be jealous of', often with a literary or formal tone. It can also mean 'to begrudge'.
人の成功を嫉んではいけない。
You must not envy others' success.
Casual, often playful ways to express envy without using the word 'envy' directly. Common in everyday conversation.
You got tickets? No fair! · That's so nice, I wish I could come.
A very common casual expression meaning 'That's nice' or 'I wish I had that'. It implies envy in a light-hearted way. Often used with 羨ましい.
いいな、それ。どこで買ったの？
That's nice! Where did you buy it?
Literally means 'unfair', but is often used playfully to mean 'I'm jealous' or 'No fair!' when someone gets something good.
えー、ずるい！私も行きたい。
Hey, no fair! I want to go too.
羨ましい (urayamashii) is the safest and most common word for 'envious'. It can be used positively or neutrally. 妬ましい (netamashii) implies strong, bitter envy and is less common. 嫉妬 (shitto) is often used for romantic jealousy or intense rivalry. When in doubt, use 羨ましい.
友達の新しい家が羨ましい。
I'm envious of my friend's new house. (positive)
彼はライバルの成功を妬ましく思っている。
He feels bitter envy at his rival's success.
彼女は彼の浮気に嫉妬した。
She was jealous of his affair.
Saying 私はあなたを羨ましいです (Watashi wa anata o urayamashii desu) is grammatically incorrect and unnatural. The correct pattern is [person] の [thing] が羨ましい, or simply 羨ましい when the context is clear. Avoid using を with 羨ましい.
新しい仕事が羨ましい！
I'm so envious of your new job!
彼女は妹の美しさを羨ましく思っていた。
She envied her sister's beauty.
彼は私の車を見て、とても羨ましがった。
He was green with envy when he saw my car.
羨ましがる (urayamashigaru) is used to describe someone else's apparent envy.