Translation guide
Describes a person who lacks empathy, kindness, or emotional warmth; often implies cruelty or indifference to others' feelings.
Describing a person who is emotionally cold, unfeeling, or indifferent to others' suffering.
The most common and versatile word for 'cold' in personality. Can describe someone who is unfriendly, indifferent, or unkind.
He is a cold-hearted person.
I was hurt by her cold attitude.
Means 'cruel' or 'ruthless'; stronger than 冷たい. Implies a deliberate lack of mercy or compassion.
He made a cold-hearted decision.
Literally 'thin emotions'; implies being unfeeling, heartless, or lacking in human warmth. Often used for someone who abandons others.
He's a cold-hearted man.
Means 'heartless' or 'pitiless'. Often used in literary or dramatic contexts.
I received cold-hearted treatment.
Similar to 無情, meaning 'heartless' or 'unfeeling'. Often used in formal or written language.
A cold-hearted society.
Emphasizing intentional cruelty or harshness in actions or words.
Means 'cruel' or 'brutal'. Focuses on the act or nature of being cruel, often with a sense of violence or harshness.
His words were cold-hearted.
A common word for 'terrible' or 'cruel'. Can describe actions, words, or treatment that is heartless.
Describing someone who is unresponsive to emotional appeals or seems unaffected by others' feelings.
冷たい is the most general and can range from 'unfriendly' to 'cold-hearted'. 冷酷 implies cruelty and ruthlessness, often in decisions or actions. 薄情 focuses on a lack of human warmth and loyalty, often in personal relationships.
There is no single exact equivalent. Using 冷たい心 (cold heart) is not idiomatic. Instead, choose an adjective that matches the nuance: 冷たい for general coldness, 冷酷 for cruelty, 薄情 for heartlessness in relationships.
酷いことを言うね。
You say cold-hearted things.
冷淡な返事だった。
It was a cold-hearted reply.