Translation guide
How to express 'bleed' in Japanese, covering physical bleeding, figurative uses, and related expressions.
To lose blood from the body, as from a wound or injury.
The standard, neutral term for bleeding, used in medical and everyday contexts.
The wound is bleeding.
My nose is bleeding and the bleeding won't stop.
A common, slightly more casual way to say 'bleed' (literally 'blood comes out').
I fell and my knee bled.
Literally 'to shed blood', often used for more serious bleeding or in dramatic contexts.
He was seriously injured and bled a lot.
To intentionally draw blood, as in medical procedures.
When color or dye spreads or runs, especially in washing or when wet.
To drain resources, money, or emotional energy.
Idiomatic expression meaning a painful, bleeding-heart feeling; often used for emotional or financial sacrifice.
I saved money with a bleeding heart to buy a house.
Means to exploit or squeeze dry; can be used figuratively for bleeding someone financially.
Colloquial phrase meaning to extort or bleed money from someone.
I was bled dry by a scammer.
To feel deep sympathy or pity, often excessively.
To release air or fluid from a system, like bleeding brakes.
Directly translating 'bleed' as 出血する in figurative contexts (e.g., 'my heart bleeds') sounds unnatural. Use idiomatic expressions like 心が痛む instead.
My heart bleeds (for you).
出血する is more formal and medical, while 血が出る is everyday speech. Both mean 'to bleed', but 血が出る is more common in casual conversation.
My finger bled.
There was a lot of bleeding during the surgery.
The ink bled when it got wet.
They are bleeding the workers dry for profit.