Translation guide
This guide covers how to talk about losing weight in Japanese, from intentional dieting to unintentional weight loss, including common expressions, nuances, and natural phrasing.
Expressing that someone is trying to lose weight or has successfully lost weight through effort.
The most common verb for 'to lose weight' or 'to become thin'. Can be used for both intentional and unintentional weight loss, but context usually makes it clear.
You've lost weight recently, haven't you?
I'm going to the gym to lose weight.
Refers specifically to intentional dieting or weight-loss efforts. Often implies a structured plan.
I'm on a diet right now.
I succeeded in losing weight (through dieting).
Literally 'to reduce body weight'. More formal or clinical than 痩せる.
Please tell me how to lose weight.
Formal term for weight reduction, often used in medical, sports, or scientific contexts.
Athletes lose weight before a match.
Describing weight loss that happens without deliberate effort, often due to illness, stress, or other factors.
Also used for unintentional weight loss. Context or additional words clarify the lack of intention.
I lost weight due to illness.
I lost weight from stress.
Neutral way to say 'body weight decreases', often used when the cause is not intentional.
I've been losing weight lately.
Implies becoming gaunt or haggard, often from worry or hardship. Stronger emotional nuance.
Talking about the act of losing weight in a general sense, often as a goal or ongoing effort.
痩せる is a general verb for becoming thin, which can be intentional or not. ダイエットする specifically means to engage in a diet or weight-loss regimen. Use ダイエットする when emphasizing the effort or plan.
I started a diet because I want to lose weight.
The literal translation '体重を失う' is not natural Japanese. Use 痩せる or 体重が減る instead.
彼は心配でやつれてしまった。
He became haggard from worry.
減量が目標です。
Weight loss is my goal.