Translation guide
The state of being emotionally distant or separated from someone or something, often after a close relationship. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through various words and phrases that emphasize emotional distance, alienation, or the breaking of ties.
Describing a feeling of being disconnected or distant from a partner, family member, or friend.
I've become estranged from him lately.
Literally 'hearts grow apart', used to describe emotional estrangement in a relationship.
If you don't see each other for a long time, you can become emotionally estranged.
A gap or distance, often emotional, that has formed between people.
A great estrangement has grown between the two of them.
Feeling isolated or disconnected from a community, workplace, or society at large.
A psychological state of being disconnected from oneself, one's emotions, or one's true nature.
A deliberate and often permanent breaking off of family ties or close bonds.
疎遠 (soen) implies a gradual drifting apart, often without a dramatic event. 絶縁 (zetsuen) is a deliberate, often formal severance, like disowning a family member. Use 疎遠 for natural distance, 絶縁 for intentional cutting off.
The English word 'estrangement' covers a wide range of situations. Avoid directly translating it as a single Japanese word in all contexts. Choose the term that matches the specific type of distance or alienation.
彼はクラスで孤立している。
He is estranged from his classmates.
I'm so busy I feel estranged from myself.
親と縁を切るのは簡単ではない。
It's not easy to become estranged from your parents.