Translation guide
A feeling that something bad will happen. Japanese expresses this through nouns, adjectives, and set phrases that describe ominous premonitions or uneasy atmospheres.
Expressing a vague feeling that something bad is about to happen.
A premonition or presentiment. Often used with 悪い (bad) to specify a negative foreboding.
I have a bad feeling about this.
A feeling of unease or apprehension, literally 'chest disturbance'. Conveys a physical sense of foreboding.
I had a sense of foreboding and couldn't sleep.
Literally 'unpleasant premonition'. A very common way to say 'bad feeling' or 'foreboding'.
My foreboding came true.
A superstitious expression meaning 'gut feeling' or 'omen', literally 'insect's notice'. Used when you have an inexplicable bad feeling.
I went home because of a foreboding feeling.
Describing a situation, place, or event that feels threatening or sinister.
Eerie, uncanny, ominous. Describes something that gives an unsettling or creepy feeling.
An ominous silence hung in the air.
Ominous, ill-omened. Often used for signs, dreams, or events that seem to predict misfortune.
An unpleasant or foreboding atmosphere. A straightforward way to describe a setting that feels wrong.
This room has a foreboding atmosphere.
Expressing a sense of impending doom in a narrative or formal context.
予感 is a general premonition and can be positive or negative depending on context. 胸騒ぎ specifically refers to an uneasy, physical sensation of foreboding and is always negative.
There is no single Japanese word that perfectly matches 'foreboding' in all contexts. Avoid trying to translate it directly; instead, choose the expression that fits the specific nuance (premonition, atmosphere, omen).
I had an ominous dream.
A foreboding sign appeared in the sky.