A sigh expressing sadness, regret, or lamentation. Often used in literary or emotional contexts.
He let out a deep sigh.
He let out a sigh of lament over the changing times.
Deep sorrow or mourning; often used in formal or literary expressions.
The poem sings of the grief of losing a loved one.
One cannot help but lament such repeated misfortune.
ため息 is the ordinary word for a physical sigh, whereas 嘆 is a literary noun for a sigh expressing grief or lament.
嘆く is the verb meaning 'to grieve or lament', while 嘆 is the related noun for the sigh or lamentation itself, so the two are easily mixed up despite differing in part of speech.
entreaty; appeal; petition
admiration; wonder; astonishment
wonder; admiration; being deeply impressed
grief; deep sorrow; lamentation
sigh (of grief, disappointment, etc.); lament
deep admiration; high praise · repeated lamentation; deep grief
crying in pain; lamentation
lamentation; deploring · admiration; praise
sigh of admiration or lamentation
Standard kanji spelling for this noun.
Variant kanji form; less common in modern usage.
The kanji 嘆 (and its variant 歎) is used to express sighing and lamentation. The reading たん is the on'yomi. The word is primarily used in literary or formal contexts.
admiration; adoration; extolling
admiration; praise; laudation
lamentation; sorrow; grief
lamentation; deploring; regret
deep lamentation; bitter grief; deep regret
exclamation; admiration