Translation guide
The English verb 'heal' covers physical recovery from injury or illness, emotional recovery, and the act of making something whole again. Japanese uses different words depending on what is healing and whether it's natural recovery or medical treatment.
To describe a cut, wound, or injury getting better naturally or through treatment.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to heal' or 'to get better' for injuries, wounds, or illnesses. Focuses on natural recovery.
It took a week for the wound to heal.
Transitive verb meaning 'to heal' or 'to cure' something. Used when a doctor or treatment heals a wound or illness.
The doctor healed my wound.
Intransitive verb for healing, often used for emotional or spiritual healing, but can apply to physical wounds in literary contexts.
Emotional wounds don't heal easily.
To recover from a disease or sickness.
Same as for wounds; the most common verb for recovering from illness.
My cold healed / I recovered from my cold.
More formal, means 'to recover' from illness or fatigue. Often used in medical contexts.
He completely healed from his illness.
Technical/medical term for 'healing' or 'cure'. Used in formal writing.
Healing of the wound takes time.
To recover from emotional pain, trauma, or distress.
Commonly used for emotional wounds healing over time. Intransitive.
With time, emotional wounds will heal.
Transitive verb meaning 'to heal' someone emotionally or spiritually. Often used for things like music, nature, or therapy.
Means 'to recover' or 'bounce back' from emotional setbacks. Focuses on regaining strength.
Noun meaning 'healing' or 'soothing'. Often used in contexts like 'healing music' or 'healing space'.
To mend or repair a broken relationship or division.
Means 'to repair' or 'mend' relationships, trust, etc.
They tried to heal their relationship.
Means 'to reconcile' or 'make peace'. Implies healing a conflict.
After a long conflict, they healed their rift.
Literally 'to dissolve a grudge/ill feeling'. Used for healing emotional distance.
They healed the hard feelings through discussion.
To restore health points or cure status effects using magic or items.
治る (intransitive) is for natural healing of injuries/illness. 治す (transitive) is for actively healing something. 癒える is more emotional/literary. Don't use 治す for emotional healing; use 癒す instead.
ヒール is gaming slang. Using it for medical or emotional healing sounds unnatural and geeky.
美しい音楽が私の心を癒してくれた。
The beautiful music healed my heart.
It took her time to heal from the heartbreak.
This café is a healing space.
The healer healed the party.
I cast a healing spell.