Translation guide
How to express feeling discouraged, losing motivation, or being disheartened in Japanese. Covers emotional states, external discouragement, and common phrases.
Expressing a personal feeling of discouragement, loss of confidence, or being downhearted.
The most common way to say you feel discouraged or disappointed. It's a general term for when things don't go as hoped.
I was discouraged when I failed the exam.
To feel down or depressed, often after a setback. Stronger than がっかり, implies a lingering low mood.
I made a mistake at work and feel discouraged.
To feel gloomy or dispirited. Often used when the discouragement comes from a situation that feels heavy or oppressive.
Continuous rain makes me feel discouraged.
A formal, literary expression meaning to be dejected or dispirited. Used in writing or formal speech.
He was discouraged upon hearing the news.
When discouragement leads to a loss of drive or desire to keep trying.
To lose motivation. Very common in everyday speech when you feel discouraged from continuing an effort.
I failed so many times I got discouraged.
To suffer a setback or be frustrated in one's plans. Implies a significant obstacle that causes discouragement.
I was discouraged by the failure of my startup and felt down for a while.
Literally 'one's heart breaks'. A colloquial way to say you've lost the will to continue due to discouragement.
The tough training is making me feel discouraged.
When an external factor causes you to feel discouraged, such as criticism or a difficult situation.
Passive form of がっかりする, meaning 'to be discouraged by ~'. Use with a person or event.
I was discouraged by his attitude.
To be disheartened or disappointed by something. Slightly more formal than がっかり.
I was discouraged by the results.
To have one's spirit dampened or be discouraged by something. Often used when enthusiasm is curbed.
I was discouraged by his single remark.
Actively trying to dissuade or discourage another person from an action.
To dissuade someone from doing something. The causative form of 思いとどまる (to refrain).
I tried to discourage him from studying abroad.
To make someone stop doing something. A direct way to discourage an action.
I discouraged the child from doing it because it was dangerous.
Literally 'to pour water on ~'. An idiomatic way to say you discourage or dampen someone's enthusiasm.
がっかり is a momentary feeling of disappointment, while 落ち込む describes a deeper, longer-lasting state of depression or discouragement. Use がっかり for everyday letdowns and 落ち込む when the feeling lingers.
I was disappointed (discouraged) because the movie was boring.
I'm feeling discouraged/depressed after a breakup.
Avoid directly translating 'discouraged' as 落胆する in casual speech; it sounds stiff. In most daily situations, がっかりする or 落ち込む are more natural.
I said something that discouraged his proposal.