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 (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.
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.
I have a good feeling.
I have a sense of foreboding.
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).
不吉な夢を見た。
I had an ominous dream.
This room has a foreboding atmosphere.
A foreboding sign appeared in the sky.