Translation guide
A deep, persistent sadness or pensive mood. In Japanese, this feeling is often expressed through specific nouns, adjectives, and idiomatic phrases that convey a sense of gloom, sorrow, or wistfulness.
Expressing a general state of melancholy, gloom, or deep sadness.
The most common and direct translation for 'melancholy' as a noun or na-adjective. It describes a gloomy, depressed mood.
Lately, I've been feeling melancholy.
Rainy days make me feel melancholy.
A more literary or poetic term for sorrow or melancholy, often implying a deeper, more profound sadness.
There was deep melancholy in his eyes.
Refers to a sense of pathos or melancholy, often associated with beauty or nostalgia, like the sadness of a sunset or an old song.
That song is filled with melancholy.
Describes a dark, gloomy, and oppressive melancholy, often used for atmospheres or personalities.
The sky looks melancholy and gloomy.
Expressing a thoughtful, wistful kind of melancholy, often with a hint of nostalgia.
An i-adjective meaning 'sad' or 'melancholy' in a gentle, poignant way, often triggered by something like music or a scene.
Autumn evenings are melancholy.
A phrase meaning 'tinged with melancholy', used to describe things like music, expressions, or scenery.
Describing a person who is habitually melancholy or has a melancholic temperament.
A na-adjective meaning gloomy, melancholy, or morose, often used to describe a person's disposition.
He has a melancholy personality.
A psychological term for a melancholic temperament, from the four temperaments theory. Rarely used in daily conversation.
憂鬱 (yūutsu) is the most general and common term for a depressed, gloomy melancholy. 哀愁 (aishū) is more poetic and often linked to beauty or nostalgia. 物悲しい (monoganashii) is an adjective for a gentle, poignant sadness triggered by external things.
憂鬱 can sound clinical or heavy. For a lighter, wistful feeling, use 物悲しい or センチメンタル instead.
A loanword from 'sentimental', often used to describe a wistful, emotional melancholy, sometimes with a slightly negative connotation of being overly emotional.
Looking at old photos made me feel melancholy.
Her singing voice was tinged with melancholy.
He has a melancholic temperament.