Translation guide
To make someone lose hope, confidence, or enthusiasm. Japanese expresses this through verbs for losing spirit, becoming discouraged, or feeling down, often using passive or intransitive forms to describe the emotional impact.
To make someone feel discouraged or lose their drive, often due to a setback or negative news.
Literally 'to cause discouragement'. A direct transitive verb for disheartening someone. Common in both speech and writing.
The news disheartened him.
To disappoint or let down, causing a drop in spirits. Very common in daily conversation.
The exam results disheartened her.
To break someone's spirit or willpower. Slightly stronger, implying a crushing of motivation.
Repeated failures disheartened him.
To cause dejection or demoralization. More formal and literary, often used in written narratives.
The defeat disheartened the team.
To feel disheartened oneself. Japanese often uses intransitive verbs or passive forms to describe the emotional state.
To be discouraged or disheartened. The most direct intransitive form.
He was disheartened by the results.
To be disappointed or disheartened. Very common in everyday speech.
I was disheartened to hear I failed.
To feel depressed or dispirited. Emphasizes a lingering low mood.
I feel disheartened by all the bad news.
Literally 'one's heart breaks'. A colloquial way to say one's spirit is broken or deeply disheartened.
I was disheartened after being rejected so many times.
Describing something that causes discouragement.
Disappointing or disheartening. A common adjectival phrase.
It was a disheartening result.
Depressing or disheartening, often for situations that drag on.
The disheartening weather continues.
Direct translations like '心を失わせる' are not natural. Use the verbs and phrases above instead.
Japanese often describes the state of being disheartened (intransitive) rather than focusing on who caused it. Use passive or intransitive forms when the agent is not important.