Translation guide
The sensation of lacking physical feeling, often from pressure, cold, or medical causes. Also used metaphorically for emotional detachment.
Describing a body part that has lost feeling, often from sitting too long, cold, or anesthesia.
The most common word for numbness, often from pressure on nerves or poor circulation. Can be used as a noun or with する to mean 'go numb'.
足がしびれた。
My leg fell asleep.
長時間座っていて、お尻にしびれを感じた。
I felt numbness in my butt from sitting for a long time.
Refers to paralysis or more severe loss of sensation/movement, often from medical conditions. More clinical than しびれ.
事故の後、左腕に麻痺が残った。
After the accident, numbness/paralysis remained in my left arm.
Literally 'there is no sensation'. A straightforward phrase to describe loss of feeling.
指の感覚がなくて、物がつかめない。
I have no feeling in my fingers and can't grab things.
Means 'insensibility' or 'numbness', but often used in psychological or metaphorical contexts. Less common for physical numbness.
寒さで手が無感覚になった。
My hands became numb from the cold.
The prickly sensation when feeling returns or from nerve irritation.
しびれ covers both numbness and the tingling 'pins and needles' sensation. Context clarifies which.
足のしびれが治ってきた。
The tingling in my leg is going away.
Onomatopoeic phrase for a tingling or prickling sensation, like static electricity or mild nerve pain.
手がピリピリする。
My hand is tingling.
Feeling emotionally shut down, unable to feel joy or sadness.
Literally 'emotions become paralyzed'. Common expression for emotional numbness or being unable to feel.
ショックで感情が麻痺してしまった。
I was so shocked that I became emotionally numb.
To become insensible or numb, often used for emotional detachment.
悲しみのあまり無感覚になった。
I became numb from too much sadness.
Metaphorical expression meaning 'one's heart freezes', implying emotional numbness or shock.
その知らせを聞いて、心が凍りついた。
Hearing that news, my heart froze (I felt numb).
Loss of sensation specifically due to low temperatures.
Verb meaning 'to become numb/stiff from cold', especially fingers. Very common in winter contexts.
寒さで指がかじかんで、ボタンがかけられない。
My fingers are numb from the cold and I can't button up.
Chilblains; the itchy, swollen, numb condition from cold exposure. Not exactly numbness, but related.
しもやけで足の指がかゆい。
My toes are itchy from chilblains.
しびれ is the everyday word for temporary numbness or tingling (like a leg falling asleep). 麻痺 is more serious, implying paralysis or lasting nerve damage, often used in medical contexts.
正座で足がしびれた。
My legs went numb from sitting in seiza.
脳卒中で半身に麻痺が出た。
He suffered paralysis on one side due to a stroke.
無感覚 is more abstract and often sounds unnatural for physical numbness. Stick to しびれ or 感覚がない for body parts.