sad-looking; seeming sad; with a sad air
Describes someone or something that appears sad, often used for facial expressions, eyes, or atmosphere. The suffix げ attaches to the adjective stem 悲し to mean 'seeming' or 'looking'.
She had sad-looking eyes.
He hung his head sadly.
寂しげ means 'lonely-looking', formed similarly with the suffix げ. 悲しげ focuses on sadness rather than loneliness.
Standard kanji spelling; the most common form in modern Japanese.
Alternate kanji spelling using 哀, which carries a nuance of pathos or pity. Less common than 悲しげ.
Rare kanji spelling using 気 instead of げ. The kana suffix げ is more standard.
Rare alternate spelling combining 哀 and 気. Very uncommon.
Formed from the adjective stem 悲し and the suffix げ, “appearance” or “sign of.” The suffix continues an older form related to 気, with voicing in suffixal use.