Translation guide
The English verb 'depress' has several distinct meanings: to make someone sad, to press down physically, to reduce economic activity, and to lower in value or amount. This guide helps learners choose the right Japanese expression for each meaning.
To cause a person to feel sad, down, or disheartened.
The most common and natural way to say 'depress' in the sense of making someone feel down. It is a transitive verb.
The news depressed him.
Literally 'make someone melancholy'. Slightly more formal or literary than 落ち込ませる.
Long rains depress people.
A more literary expression meaning 'to depress one's spirits'. Not used in casual conversation.
His words depressed me.
To push or press something downward, such as a button, lever, or surface.
To cause a decline in business, trade, or economic conditions.
To reduce the level, rate, or numerical value of something.
Please depress the lever.
The tax hike depressed consumer spending.
The policy depressed the birth rate.