Translation guide
The English word 'stress' covers several distinct concepts: mental/emotional pressure, physical tension or force, and linguistic emphasis. This guide helps learners choose the right Japanese expression for each meaning.
Express psychological pressure, worry, or tension from work, relationships, or life.
The most common and direct loanword for mental/emotional stress. Used in everyday conversation.
Lately, work stress has been building up.
If you feel stressed, it's good to take a walk.
Refers to nervous tension or strain, often in specific situations like public speaking or exams.
I always get nervous before interviews.
Loanword for external pressure or expectations from others, often in competitive contexts.
He doesn't handle pressure well.
A more formal term for psychological burden or mental load. Used in written or clinical contexts.
Caregiving can become a major mental burden.
Describe physical pressure, strain on objects, or bodily tension.
Technical term for stress in physics or engineering (force per unit area).
This material can withstand high stress.
Can also mean physical tension in muscles or strings. Context distinguishes from mental tension.
Sometimes used for physical stress on the body, but less precise than 応力 in technical contexts.
Refer to the emphasis placed on a syllable or word when speaking.
Linguistic term for stress or accent in pronunciation.
In English, the position of word stress is important.
Commonly used for pitch accent or stress in everyday language learning contexts.
General term for emphasis, can be used for stressing a point or word.
Express the act of stressing the importance of something.
ストレス is a broad term for ongoing mental stress. 緊張 is acute nervousness or tension (e.g., before a speech). プレッシャー is external pressure from expectations or demands. Use ストレス for general life stress, 緊張 for situational anxiety, and プレッシャー when someone is putting pressure on you.
I can't sleep because of work stress.
I get nervous when speaking in public.
The pressure from my boss is intense.
In engineering or physics, 'stress' should be translated as 応力, not ストレス. Using ストレス may cause confusion or sound unprofessional.
I'm under a lot of stress at work.
She stressed the need for punctuality.
The bridge can handle high stress.
筋肉の緊張をほぐすマッサージ。
A massage to relieve muscle tension.
腰にストレスがかからない姿勢をとる。
Adopt a posture that doesn't put stress on your lower back.
この単語のアクセントは最初の音節にある。
The stress of this word is on the first syllable.
彼は「絶対に」という言葉を強調した。
He stressed the word 'absolutely'.