Translation guide
The emotional pain of lost love or deep disappointment. Japanese expresses this through nouns, verbs, and idiomatic phrases, often emphasizing the physical sensation of a breaking or aching heart.
Expressing the state or feeling of romantic heartbreak or deep emotional pain from lost love.
The most common and direct term for romantic heartbreak or unrequited love. It refers to the experience of a failed love, not just the feeling.
I'm so heartbroken I can't focus on anything.
He can't get over the pain of his heartbreak.
Literally 'my chest feels like it's going to burst/tear apart'. A vivid, natural way to describe the intense emotional pain of heartbreak.
He dumped me and my heart is breaking.
A more literary or formal term for a broken heart or deep emotional wound. Often used in writing or song lyrics.
Heartbroken, she went on a journey.
Literally 'one's heart breaks/snaps'. Used for emotional devastation, not limited to romance; can refer to losing spirit or motivation.
That breakup completely broke my heart.
The pain of heartbreak. A straightforward phrase combining 'heartbreak' and 'pain'.
It takes time to heal the pain of heartbreak.
Describing a deep, aching sadness that feels physically painful, often beyond just romantic loss.
Literally 'my chest aches'. A common expression for heartache, empathy, or emotional pain.
Hearing that story broke my heart.
Literally 'my chest is being squeezed'. Describes a tight, suffocating feeling of sadness or heartbreak.
Extreme grief or anguish, often used in formal or literary contexts. Stronger and more dramatic than everyday heartbreak.
Focusing on the event of romantic rejection or breakup that causes heartbreak.
失恋 is the standard, everyday word for romantic heartbreak and is widely understood. 傷心 is more literary and dramatic, often appearing in novels or lyrics. For casual conversation, 失恋 or phrases like 胸が痛む are more natural.
The literal translation 心臓破壊 (しんぞうはかい) or similar is not used in Japanese to mean emotional heartbreak. Stick to the expressions listed above.
Time heals all heartbreak.
She's still nursing a broken heart.
Seeing his sad face makes my heart ache.
彼女の悲痛な叫びが忘れられない。
I can't forget her heart-wrenching cry.
I'm feeling down after being dumped.