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.
The most common verb for lamenting, grieving, or mourning. Can be used for personal loss or broader tragedies.
彼は友の死を嘆いた。
He lamented his friend's death.
人々は悲劇を嘆いている。
People are lamenting the tragedy.
Specifically to mourn or grieve for the dead, often used in formal condolences.
私たちは彼の死を悼んでいます。
We are mourning his death.
A formal noun meaning condolence or mourning, often used in written expressions of sympathy.
哀悼の意を表します。
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.
自分の不運を嘆いても仕方がない。
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.
Literally 'sad song'; an elegy or lament in poetic form.
彼は亡き妻への悲歌を詠んだ。
He composed a lament for his late wife.
Another term for elegy or lament, often used in classical or religious contexts.
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.
それは残念ですね。
That's a shame.
He is lamenting his mistake.
An adjective meaning deplorable or lamentable, used to describe a situation that is regrettable.
その事件は嘆かわしい。
That incident is lamentable.
Read the Lamentations of the Bible.