憂い · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 憂い | 憂くない |
| Polite | 憂いです | 憂くないですalso 憂くありません |
| Past polite | 憂かったです | 憂くなかったですalso 憂くありませんでした |
| Past | 憂かった | 憂くなかった |
| Te-form | 憂くて | 憂くなくて |
| Adverbial | 憂く | |
| Conditional | 憂ければ | 憂くなければ |
| Tara conditional | 憂かったら | 憂くなかったら |
Formal or literary adjective describing a deep, often lingering sadness or melancholy. Not used in casual everyday speech; more common in written language, poetry, or elevated contexts.
He was looking out the window with a sad expression.
The melody tinged with melancholy resonated in my heart.
gloom; melancholy; pent-up frustration
alternate between joy and sorrow; swing between hope and despair
needless fear; groundless apprehension; unfounded worry
languid; listless; weary; melancholy
grief; sorrow; lamentation; mourning · anxiety; worry; concern · illness; sickness
worry; be concerned · grieve; lament; be anxious; be distressed
internal troubles; domestic discord
sharing the same concern; mutual worry
external troubles; foreign threat
unhappy; sad; miserable; gloomy
sobbing; weeping in sorrow
deep sadness; great worry
worry about; be anxious about; be concerned about · lament; grieve; feel sorrow for
ashoka tree; Saraca asoca
languorous; weary; listless · somber; gloomy; despondent
Derived from classical Japanese adjective 憂し (ushi), meaning 'sad' or 'gloomy'. The modern form 憂い (ui) is the attributive/conclusive form that survived into modern literary usage.