Translation guide
Expressing grief, regret, or sorrow, often aloud or in a poetic way. Japanese has distinct words for mourning the dead, personal regret, and poetic or literary lament.
To express deep sorrow over someone's death, often in a formal or ritual context.
He lamented his friend's death.
People are lamenting the tragedy.
Specifically to mourn or grieve for the dead, often used in formal condolences.
We are mourning his death.
A formal noun meaning condolence or mourning, often used in written expressions of sympathy.
I express my condolences.
To lament one's own situation, mistakes, or missed opportunities, often with a sense of helplessness.
Also used for personal lamentation over one's own circumstances or the state of the world.
It's no use lamenting your bad luck.
To regret or lament something, often with a focus on personal remorse or wishing things had been different.
To express sorrow in a stylized, often artistic way, such as in poetry, songs, or dramatic monologues.
English 'lamenting' can sound formal or poetic. In Japanese, 嘆く is natural for serious grief, but for everyday regret, 悔やむ or simpler phrases like 残念に思う (to feel regret) are more common.
That's a shame.
彼は自分の失敗を悔やんでいる。
He is lamenting his mistake.
An adjective meaning deplorable or lamentable, used to describe a situation that is regrettable.
That incident is lamentable.
Read the Lamentations of the Bible.