Translation guide
The English verb "suffer" covers a wide range of experiences, from physical pain and illness to emotional distress, hardship, and enduring negative situations. Japanese expresses these nuances with different verbs and constructions depending on what is suffered and the nature of the suffering.
To experience physical pain, injury, or a medical condition.
General verb for suffering physically or mentally. Often used for ongoing pain or agony.
He has been suffering from back pain for a long time.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to hurt' or 'to ache'. Used for body parts that are in pain.
Passive form meaning 'to be troubled/afflicted by'. Common for chronic conditions or recurring pain.
She suffers from headaches.
To experience psychological pain, grief, worry, or mental anguish.
To undergo difficult conditions, poverty, oppression, or misfortune.
To experience a specific negative event such as a defeat, financial loss, or injury.
To tolerate or bear an unpleasant situation without necessarily showing pain.
To endure, put up with, or bear something. Very common for everyday patience.
To have a specific illness or medical condition.
Formal/literary verb meaning to suffer from an illness. Common in medical contexts.
苦しむ (kurushimu) is used for both physical and mental suffering, often with a sense of agony. 悩む (nayamu) is specifically for mental distress, worry, or being troubled by a problem. You can 悩む about a decision, but you 苦しむ from a disease or guilt.
He is troubled about the meaning of life.
My tooth hurts. (I'm suffering from a toothache.)
Also used for mental suffering, such as from guilt, anxiety, or heartbreak.
He is suffering from guilt.
To worry, be troubled, or agonize over something. Focuses on mental distress and indecision.
I'm suffering (worrying) about the future.
Literally 'to hurt one's heart'. Used when something causes emotional pain or distress.
I was distressed to hear that news.
Broadly used for suffering from economic hardship, discrimination, war, etc.
Many people are suffering from poverty.
To experience hardship, toil, or have a hard time. Often implies effort and endurance.
He suffered (went through) a lot when he was young.
To encounter or suffer something negative (accident, disaster, misfortune).
He suffered a traffic accident.
Formal verb meaning to suffer or sustain (damage, loss, defeat). Often used in news.
The company suffered a huge loss.
To receive or sustain (damage, influence, blow). More neutral than 被る.
The area suffered damage from the typhoon.
Passive of 見舞う (to visit/strike). Used for being hit by disasters, misfortune, or illness.
The country suffered an earthquake.
He endured the pain. (He suffered in silence.)
To bear, withstand, or endure hardship, pain, or criticism. Slightly more formal/literary.
She can endure any hardship.
He has been suffering from heart disease for many years.
To contract or come down with an illness. More about the onset than ongoing suffering.
He came down with the flu. (He is suffering from the flu.)
He is suffering from cancer pain.
English often uses 'suffer' in contexts where Japanese uses a more specific verb or a passive construction. For example, 'suffer a heart attack' is naturally 心臓発作を起こす (literally 'cause a heart attack') or 心臓発作に見舞われる. Translating 'suffer' as 苦しむ in every case can sound unnatural.