Translation guide
The English verb 'sag' describes something bending or hanging down due to weight, pressure, or lack of support. It can be physical (a roof, shoulders, skin) or metaphorical (spirits, demand). This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for each meaning.
To describe something like a roof, shelf, or mattress that bends or sinks downward under weight or over time.
Describes bending or warping under weight or pressure, often for flat surfaces like boards, shelves, or floors.
The bookshelf is sagging under the weight of the books.
Means to hang down or droop, used for things like curtains, cables, or branches that hang loosely.
The power lines are sagging.
Means to become dented or sunken, often for a surface that caves in. Can imply a more permanent deformation.
The middle of the sofa is starting to sag.
To describe drooping skin due to aging or weight loss, or shoulders slumping from fatigue or sadness.
Specifically used for skin that has lost elasticity and sags, like cheeks or underarms.
As you get older, your skin starts to sag.
Describes shoulders drooping, often from disappointment or exhaustion. A natural idiom for sagging posture.
General verb for hanging down; can be used for cheeks, breasts, or other body parts that droop.
To describe a drop in mood, motivation, or economic indicators.
Means one's spirits sink or become depressed. A common way to express emotional sagging.
My spirits sagged when I heard the bad news.
To feel down or depressed; also used for a drop in economic indicators like demand or sales.
Formal term for a decline or drop, suitable for business or technical contexts.
Productivity is sagging.
Use たわむ for flat surfaces bending under weight (shelf, floor). Use 垂れ下がる for things hanging loosely from a point (rope, cable, branch).
The shelf is sagging.
The curtain is sagging.
Do not use たわむ or 垂れ下がる for spirits or mood. Use 沈む or 落ち込む instead.
His shoulders sagged with fatigue.
頬が垂れてきた。
My cheeks are starting to sag.
需要が落ち込んでいる。
Demand is sagging.