しんどい

し

ん

ど

い

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 10,000

しんどい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	しんどい	しんどくない
Polite	しんどいです	しんどくないですalso しんどくありません
Past polite	しんどかったです	しんどくなかったですalso しんどくありませんでした
Past	しんどかった	しんどくなかった
Te-form	しんどくて	しんどくなくて
Adverbial	しんどく
Conditional	しんどければ	しんどくなければ
Tara conditional	しんどかったら	しんどくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

tired; exhausted; worn out

Describes physical or mental fatigue. Common in casual speech; originally Kansai dialect but now understood nationwide.

今日きょうは一いち日にち中じゅう歩あるいてしんどい。
I'm tired from walking all day today.
残ざん業ぎょう続つづきで体からだがしんどい。
My body is worn out from continuous overtime.

i-adjective

tiresome; draining; a hassle

Describes a situation or task that is mentally or physically draining, bothersome, or a pain to deal with. Often used when something feels like too much effort.

この仕し事ごと、ほんまにしんどいわ。
This job is really a hassle.
毎まい日にちの満まん員いん電でん車しゃがしんどい。
The crowded train every day is draining.

See all 10 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉がしんどい[a task/situation] is tough or draining
満まん員いん電でん車しゃの通つう勤きんがしんどい。
Commuting on a packed train is exhausting.
体からだがしんどいto feel physically exhausted
熱ねつがあるのか、体からだがしんどい。
I feel exhausted—maybe I have a fever.
〈動どう詞し〉のがしんどいdoing [something] is exhausting or a hassle
毎まい朝あさ早はやく起おきるのがしんどい。
Getting up early every morning is exhausting.
気き持もちがしんどいto feel mentally drained or worn down
人にん間げん関かん係けいで気き持もちがしんどい。
I'm mentally worn out from dealing with relationships.

Related words

疲つかれるN5sense 1
疲れる is the neutral, standard verb for 'to become tired', while しんどい is a casual i-adjective describing the resulting exhausted state, often with extra emotional weight.
だるいN2sense 1
だるい focuses on a heavy, sluggish physical feeling (often from illness), whereas しんどい covers both physical fatigue and mental or situational strain.
つらいN3sense 2
つらい emphasizes emotional pain or hardship endured, while しんどい is more about the sheer effort or exhaustion something demands.
きついN3sense 2
きつい stresses that something is harsh, tight, or demanding in intensity, while しんどい focuses on the draining, wearying effect it has on the person.
面めん倒どうN3sense 2
面倒 highlights that something is bothersome or a hassle to deal with, while しんどい adds a sense of physical or mental drain on top of the hassle.

Opposites

楽らくN4sense 2
楽 describes something easy or comfortable, the direct opposite of しんどい's sense of being tiring or hard to bear.

Written forms

しんどいUsage94%
Kana-only adjective; originally Kansai dialect but now widely used across Japan.
シンドイUsage6%

Etymology

Originally a Kansai dialect word. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it may be related to しん (core, heart) or a contraction of しに (from 死ぬ) + つらい, though this is speculative. Now widely used in casual Japanese.