Translation guide
This guide covers how to express that something is depressing in Japanese, from describing sad situations to expressing personal feelings of gloom.
To say that something (e.g., news, weather, a movie) makes you feel sad, gloomy, or hopeless.
An adjective meaning gloomy, depressing, or melancholy. Often used for weather, atmosphere, or feelings.
今日は憂鬱な天気ですね。
The weather is depressing today, isn't it?
そのニュースは本当に憂鬱だ。
That news is really depressing.
A common phrase meaning 'to feel depressed' or 'to be depressing'. Literally 'the spirit sinks in'. Used for situations that bring down your mood.
雨の日が続くと気が滅入る。
Continuous rainy days are depressing.
彼の話を聞いていると気が滅入ってくる。
Listening to his story is depressing.
Similar to 憂鬱 but often implies a darker, more oppressive gloom. Used for atmosphere, places, or moods.
この部屋は陰鬱な雰囲気だ。
This room has a depressing atmosphere.
Literally 'dark', but often used metaphorically to mean gloomy or depressing (e.g., a dark mood, dark story).
その映画は暗い話だった。
That movie was a depressing story.
Means 'to feel down/depressed'. Focuses on the resulting emotional state rather than the cause.
失敗続きで気分が落ち込む。
I feel depressed because of continuous failures.
To say 'I am depressed' or 'I feel depressed'.
The most common way to say 'I'm depressed' or 'I'm feeling down'. Literally 'I have fallen into a low state'.
最近、すごく落ち込んでいる。
I've been really depressed lately.
試験に落ちて落ち込んでいる。
I'm depressed because I failed the exam.
Directly states 'I am gloomy/depressed'. Slightly more formal or literary than 落ち込んでいる.
何もする気が起きなくて、憂鬱だ。
I don't feel like doing anything; I'm depressed.
Means 'to feel heavy-hearted' or 'to feel depressed about something upcoming'. Often used when dreading something.
Loanword from English 'blue', meaning sad or depressed. Casual and somewhat colloquial.
今日はなんだかブルーだ。
I'm feeling kind of blue today.
To refer to clinical depression or severely depressing circumstances.
The medical term for depression (the illness). Use this when talking about clinical depression.
彼はうつ病で休職している。
He is on leave due to depression.
A clinical term meaning 'depression' or 'depressive', often used in compounds like 抑うつ状態 (depressive state).
憂鬱 (yūutsu) describes a gloomy atmosphere or a lingering depressed mood, while 落ち込む (ochikomu) focuses on the acute feeling of being down, often due to a specific event. 憂鬱 can be used for weather or situations; 落ち込む is more personal and temporary.
憂鬱な天気 vs 試験に落ちて落ち込む
depressing weather vs. feeling depressed after failing an exam
The English word 'depressing' is often used casually ('This weather is so depressing'), but directly translating it as 憂鬱な or 陰鬱な can sound overly dramatic in Japanese. Use 気が滅入る or 暗い for casual contexts.
戦争のニュースは気が滅入る。
The news about the war is depressing.
彼の絶え間ない不平には憂鬱になる。
I find his constant complaining depressing.
明日の会議を考えると気が重い。
Thinking about tomorrow's meeting makes me feel depressed.
Depressive symptoms are appearing.