Translation guide
The English word "trauma" covers both physical injury and psychological shock. In Japanese, these are usually expressed with different words. This guide helps you choose the right term depending on whether you mean a physical wound, a deeply distressing experience, or the lasting psychological effects.
Referring to a physical wound or injury, especially in medical or emergency settings.
The standard medical term for physical trauma or external injury. Used in hospitals and formal contexts.
事故で頭部に外傷を負った。
He suffered head trauma in the accident.
General word for injury. Less clinical than 外傷, used in everyday conversation.
転んで怪我をした。
I fell and got injured.
Means damage or injury, often used for internal or structural damage (e.g., brain damage). More technical.
脳に損傷を受けた。
He suffered brain damage.
Referring to a deeply disturbing event that causes emotional shock.
The loanword from English, widely used in everyday Japanese to mean psychological trauma. Can be used casually or seriously.
あの出来事がトラウマになっている。
That event has become a trauma for me.
Literally "wound of the heart/mind". A more poetic or emotional way to refer to emotional trauma.
その経験は深い心の傷を残した。
That experience left deep emotional scars.
Referring to something that causes a strong negative reaction because of a past trauma.
Pattern meaning "X becomes a trauma" or "X traumatizes (someone)". Very common in casual speech.
犬に噛まれて、犬がトラウマになった。
I was bitten by a dog, and now I'm traumatized by dogs.
Means "to carry/harbor trauma". Used when someone has unresolved trauma.
彼は幼少期のトラウマを抱えている。
He carries trauma from his childhood.
トラウマ is the everyday word for psychological trauma, while 心的外傷 is the formal clinical term. In casual conversation, トラウマ is much more common. Use 心的外傷 in medical or academic writing.
彼はトラウマを克服した。
He overcame his trauma.
心的外傷の治療には時間がかかる。
Treatment for psychological trauma takes time.
外傷 (がいしょう) only means physical injury. Using it for emotional trauma would be incorrect. For psychological trauma, use トラウマ or 心的外傷.
The formal psychological/psychiatric term for psychological trauma. Used in clinical contexts.
心的外傷後ストレス障害（PTSD）
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)