Picture this: your Japanese friend asks how you feel about something exciting that just happened, and you reach for the word… and come up completely blank. Or worse, you use the wrong word and get a puzzled look in return. Emotions are at the heart of every real conversation — and Japanese has a surprisingly rich vocabulary for them, including several words that have no clean English equivalent at all.
This guide covers everything English-speaking learners need to express and understand emotions in Japanese. You will learn the essential vocabulary, the nuances that trip up beginners (嬉しい（うれしい） vs 楽しい（たのしい）, 悲しい（かなしい） vs 寂しい（さびしい）), how to say “I miss you” naturally, emotion onomatopoeia like わくわく and ドキドキ, and the beautiful Japanese emotion words that English simply does not have a name for.
| Section | What You Will Learn |
|---|---|
| Core emotion list | 20 essential emotion words with readings and type |
| 気持ち / 感情 / 気分 | Three words English collapses into “feeling” — and why they differ |
| Positive emotions | 9 words: 嬉しい, 楽しい, 幸せ, 感動, わくわく, and more |
| Negative emotions | 12 words: 悲しい, 寂しい, 不安, イライラ, 落ち込む, and more |
| Verbs and onomatopoeia | Emotion verbs + 6 sound-symbolic emotion words |
| 嬉しい vs 楽しい | Side-by-side comparison — the most searched emotion confusion |
| 悲しい vs 寂しい | Sad vs lonely — and how to say “I miss you” |
| Only-in-Japanese emotions | 懐かしい, 切ない, 悔しい, もどかしい |
| Anime and J-pop vocabulary | 6 emotion words you hear constantly in media |
| Empathy phrases | 8 natural ways to respond when someone shares feelings |
| Common mistakes | 6 errors English speakers make — and how to fix them |
| Quick Quiz | 5 questions to test yourself |
Why Emotions Vocabulary Matters in Japanese
Japanese is sometimes described as a language where feelings are implied rather than stated. That reputation is only half true. In close relationships — with friends, family, or colleagues you know well — Japanese people express emotions clearly and directly. What differs is the register: emotional language in Japanese is finely tuned to context, and choosing the wrong word can shift your meaning in ways you did not intend.
There are four strong practical reasons to build your emotion vocabulary early:
- Daily conversation — Talking about how you feel, how your day went, or reacting to someone else’s news all require emotion words.
- Understanding others — When a Japanese speaker says 切ない（きつない）or 悔しい（くやしい）, knowing the nuance lets you respond empathetically rather than just nodding.
- Anime and J-pop comprehension — Emotion vocabulary appears constantly in song lyrics, dialogue, and narration. Words like ドキドキ and 懐かしい（なつかしい）define the emotional tone of entire genres.
- JLPT preparation — N5 and N4 vocabulary lists include core emotion adjectives (嬉しい, 悲しい, 怖い（こわい）, 楽しい) and several emotion verbs. Getting comfortable with them now pays dividends on the exam and in real use.
Essential Japanese Emotion Words — Core List
Here are 20 of the most important emotion words in Japanese. The Type column tells you whether each word is an i-adjective (い), na-adjective (な), noun (N), or verb (V) — this matters when you build sentences around them.
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 嬉しい | うれしい | ureshii | happy (from receiving something) | い |
| 楽しい | たのしい | tanoshii | fun, enjoyable | い |
| 幸せ | しあわせ | shiawase | happy, blessed | な / N |
| 悲しい | かなしい | kanashii | sad | い |
| 寂しい | さびしい | sabishii | lonely, missing someone | い |
| 怖い | こわい | kowai | scared, frightening | い |
| 恥ずかしい | はずかしい | hazukashii | embarrassed, ashamed | い |
| 不安 | ふあん | fuan | anxious, uneasy | な / N |
| 心配 | しんぱい | shinpai | worried | な / N |
| 怒る | おこる | okoru | to get angry | V |
| 感動する | かんどうする | kandou suru | to be deeply moved | V |
| 後悔する | こうかいする | koukai suru | to regret | V |
| 落ち込む | おちこむ | ochikomu | to feel down, depressed | V |
| 緊張する | きんちょうする | kinchou suru | to be nervous, tense | V |
| 安心する | あんしんする | anshin suru | to feel relieved, at ease | V |
| 切ない | せつない | setsunai | bittersweet ache, tender sadness | い |
| 懐かしい | なつかしい | natsukashii | nostalgic, fondly remembered | い |
| 悔しい | くやしい | kuyashii | frustrated regret (often competitive) | い |
| もどかしい | もどかしい | modokashii | frustration at being unable to do something | い |
| うらやましい | うらやましい | urayamashii | envious, jealous (milder, wistful) | い |
気持ち vs 感情 vs 気分 — Three Ways to Say “Feeling”
English speakers often try to translate every use of “feeling” or “emotion” with one Japanese word and run into trouble. Japanese has three distinct terms, and choosing the wrong one sounds unnatural. Here is how to keep them straight.
| Word | Reading | Core meaning | Best English equivalent | Typical usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 気持ち | きもち | Feeling in a specific moment or toward something | “feeling” (contextual, personal) | Expressing how you feel about a specific thing, situation, or person |
| 感情 | かんじょう | Emotion as a broader concept or category | “emotion” (general/categorical) | Talking about emotions in the abstract, discussing emotional states as a concept |
| 気分 | きぶん | General mood or physical/mental state right now | “mood,” “how you feel today” | Describing your overall state in the moment: good mood, bad mood, feeling sick |
気持ち（きもち）in a sentence:
あなたの気持ちはよくわかります。
I understand your feelings well. (I know how you feel.)
気持ちを伝えるのが難しい。
It’s hard to express my feelings.
感情（かんじょう）in a sentence:
感情をコントロールするのが大切だ。
It’s important to control your emotions.
彼女は感情を表に出さない人だ。
She is a person who doesn’t show her emotions outwardly.
気分（きぶん）in a sentence:
今日は気分がいいね！
You’re in a good mood today!
気分が悪い。
I feel sick / I feel bad.
⚠️ Watch out: 気持ちが悪い（きもちがわるい）also means “I feel sick” or “that’s gross / disgusting.” It is not just the emotional “bad feeling” — it describes physical nausea or something that makes your skin crawl. Be careful about context when you use it.
Positive Emotion Vocabulary
Japanese has a wide range of words for positive emotions — far more than just 嬉しい and 楽しい. Here are nine you should know, including two emotion onomatopoeia (more on those in the next section).
| Japanese | Reading | English | Natural example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 嬉しい | うれしい | Happy (reacting to something good) | プレゼントをもらって嬉しかった。 I was so happy when I received the gift. |
| 楽しい | たのしい | Fun, enjoyable (ongoing experience) | パーティーはすごく楽しかった！ The party was so much fun! |
| 幸せ | しあわせ | Happy, blessed, content | 家族と一緒にいると幸せだ。 I’m happy when I’m with my family. |
| 感動する | かんどうする | To be deeply moved | その映画に感動して泣いてしまった。 I was so moved by that film that I cried. |
| わくわくする | わくわくする | To feel excited anticipation ★ | 旅行の前日はわくわくして眠れない。 The night before the trip I was too excited to sleep. |
| ほっとする | ほっとする | To feel relieved ★ | テストに合格してほっとした。 I felt so relieved when I passed the test. |
| 安心する | あんしんする | To feel at ease, reassured | 彼の声を聞いて安心した。 I felt at ease when I heard his voice. |
| うっとりする | うっとりする | To be entranced, captivated | 夕日の美しさにうっとりした。 I was completely captivated by the beauty of the sunset. |
| 誇りに思う | ほこりにおもう | To feel proud of | 娘のことを誇りに思っています。 I feel proud of my daughter. |
★ わくわく and ほっと are emotion onomatopoeia — sound-symbolic words that mimic a feeling’s texture. See Section 6 for the full list.
Negative and Complex Emotion Vocabulary
Negative emotions are often where vocabulary gets both more important and more nuanced. Here are twelve words covering sadness, anxiety, frustration, and exhaustion — each with a natural example sentence.
| Japanese | Reading | English | Natural example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 悲しい | かなしい | Sad (from loss or bad news) | ペットが死んで本当に悲しい。 I’m truly sad that my pet died. |
| 寂しい | さびしい | Lonely, missing someone | 友達が引っ越して寂しくなった。 I’ve been feeling lonely since my friend moved away. |
| 怖い | こわい | Scared, frightening | 暗い道を一人で歩くのは怖い。 Walking alone on a dark road is scary. |
| 不安 | ふあん | Anxious, uneasy | 将来のことを考えると不安になる。 I feel anxious when I think about the future. |
| 心配 | しんぱい | Worried (about someone or something) | 遅いから心配していたよ。 You were late, so I was worried. |
| 恥ずかしい | はずかしい | Embarrassed, ashamed | 間違えて恥ずかしかった。 I was embarrassed when I made that mistake. |
| 怒る | おこる | To get angry | 何でそんなことで怒るの？ Why are you getting angry about something like that? |
| イライラする | いらいらする | To feel irritated, frustrated ★ | 電車が遅れてイライラした。 I was irritated that the train was delayed. |
| 後悔する | こうかいする | To regret | もっと練習しなかったことを後悔している。 I regret not having practiced more. |
| 落ち込む | おちこむ | To feel down, depressed | 失敗して落ち込んでいる。 I’m feeling down because I failed. |
| 焦る | あせる | To feel rushed, panicked | 締め切りが近くて焦っている。 I’m in a panic because the deadline is approaching. |
| 疲れた | つかれた | Tired (also emotional exhaustion) | 最近、心が疲れた感じがする。 Lately I feel emotionally worn out. |
★ イライラ is also an emotion onomatopoeia. See the next section for more.
Emotion Verbs and Onomatopoeia
Japanese has two types of emotion words that English learners often under-use: emotion verbs (describing what happens emotionally) and emotion onomatopoeia (sound-symbolic words that describe the texture or sensation of a feeling). Both are essential for natural-sounding Japanese.
Emotion Verbs
| Verb | Reading | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 怒る | おこる | To get angry | 先生が怒った。 The teacher got angry. |
| 泣く | なく | To cry | 映画を見て泣いてしまった。 I ended up crying watching the movie. |
| 感動する | かんどうする | To be deeply moved | スピーチに感動した。 I was deeply moved by the speech. |
| 心配する | しんぱいする | To worry | 子どものことを心配している。 I’m worried about my child. |
| 緊張する | きんちょうする | To feel nervous, tense | 発表の前に緊張した。 I was nervous before the presentation. |
Emotion Onomatopoeia
Japanese onomatopoeia (擬態語（ぎたいご）) are not just for sounds — many describe feelings and states. These words add texture and vividness to your Japanese that straight adjectives cannot match. They are formed by repeating or extending a syllable pattern and usually combine with する to make a verb phrase.
| Onomatopoeia | Feeling it describes | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| わくわく（する） | Excited anticipation — a bright, fizzy feeling before something you look forward to | 試合の前にわくわくした。 I was excited (with anticipation) before the match. |
| ドキドキ（する） | Heart racing — from both excitement and nervousness; also romantic tension | 告白する前、ドキドキしていた。 Before confessing my feelings, my heart was pounding. |
| イライラ（する） | Irritated, on edge — a scratchy, building frustration | 彼の態度にイライラした。 His attitude irritated me. |
| ほっと（する） | Sigh of relief — a sudden release of tension | 無事に着いてほっとした。 I was relieved when we arrived safely. |
| ムカムカ（する） | Nauseated or seething — physical nausea or suppressed anger | そのニュースを聞いてムカムカした。 Hearing that news made me feel sick with anger. |
| しんみり（する） | Quietly moved, gently melancholy — a subdued, reflective emotion | 古い写真を見てしんみりした。 Looking at the old photos, I felt quietly moved and a little melancholy. |
嬉しい vs 楽しい: What Is the Difference?
This is one of the most commonly confused emotion pairs for Japanese learners. Both words translate loosely as “happy” in English, but they describe completely different kinds of happiness.
嬉しい（うれしい） = happiness that comes as a reaction to receiving something — a gift, good news, an act of kindness, a compliment. It describes a response to an external event. You feel 嬉しい because something happened to you.
楽しい（たのしい） = enjoyment of an ongoing experience — a party, a trip, a game, a conversation. It describes the quality of an activity while it is happening or in memory. You feel 楽しい while doing something.
| 嬉しい (ureshii) | 楽しい (tanoshii) | |
|---|---|---|
| Core meaning | Happiness as a reaction to something received or that happened | Fun / enjoyment of an experience in progress |
| Trigger | External event: gift, good news, kindness, praise | Ongoing activity: trip, party, game, conversation |
| Duration | Moment of reaction / lasting warmth | Duration of the experience |
| ✓ Correct use | 誕生日プレゼントをもらって嬉しかった。 I was happy to receive a birthday present. | 京都の旅行はすごく楽しかった。 The Kyoto trip was so much fun. |
| ✗ Common mistake | ✗ 旅行は嬉しかった。 (You didn’t receive the trip as a gift — this sounds odd) | ✗ プレゼントをもらって楽しかった。 (Receiving a gift is not an ongoing activity) |
The two can overlap in some contexts — for example, meeting a friend you haven’t seen in a while can be both 嬉しい (you’re happy to see them, reacting to their presence) and 楽しい (the time you spend together is fun). When in doubt, ask: am I reacting to something given to me? Then 嬉しい. Am I enjoying something I’m doing or experiencing? Then 楽しい.
YukaI told my Japanese friend about my Kyoto trip and said 旅行は嬉しかった。She looked a little confused. Did I say something weird?
ReiYes, just a little! 嬉しい is for when you receive something or something good happens to you — like getting a gift or hearing good news. For a trip you experienced yourself, 楽しかった is the natural word. So: 旅行はすごく楽しかった！— “The trip was so much fun!” 嬉しかった would make more sense if someone, say, surprised you with the trip as a gift: プレゼントしてもらって嬉しかった！
悲しい vs 寂しい: Sad vs Lonely — and How to Say “I Miss You”
Both 悲しい（かなしい）and 寂しい（さびしい）are often translated as “sad,” but they describe distinctly different emotional experiences. Getting them mixed up is one of the most common mistakes at the N5–N4 level.
| 悲しい (kanashii) | 寂しい (sabishii) | |
|---|---|---|
| Core meaning | Sadness — from loss, bad news, grief, or something painful | Loneliness — the feeling of missing someone or something; being alone and feeling it |
| Trigger | A loss: death, failure, disappointing news, something broken | Absence: someone left, being separated, feeling alone |
| ✓ Correct use | 大切な人を亡くして悲しい。 I’m sad because I lost someone important. | 友達が遠くに引っ越して寂しい。 My friend moved far away and I feel lonely. |
| Overlap — both possible | 友達が引っ越した。— You can say 悲しい (sad it happened) or 寂しい (lonely because they’re gone). The nuance shifts depending on what you want to emphasize. | |
How to say “I miss you” in Japanese
English speakers often search for a direct translation of “I miss you” and come up short. Japanese handles this with two phrases that are natural in combination:
- 寂しい（さびしい） — “I feel lonely (without you) / I miss you.” This expresses the emotional state caused by absence. It is gentle, heartfelt, and very natural in a text message to a close friend.
- 会いたい（あいたい） — “I want to see you.” This is the direct expression of longing for someone’s presence.
Using them together is the most natural combination: 寂しいよ。早く会いたいな。— “I miss you. I can’t wait to see you again.”
You may also encounter 〜が恋しい（こいしい）, which means “I long for / miss deeply,” but this is more literary and old-fashioned — you will find it in song lyrics more often than in casual texts.
YukaMy best friend just moved to another city. I want to text her in Japanese to say I miss her, but I’m not sure whether to use 悲しい or 寂しい. Which is right?
ReiBoth work, but they feel different. 悲しい focuses on the sadness of the event itself — it happened, and that hurts. 寂しい focuses on the emptiness her absence creates — you feel lonely without her. For “I miss you” in a text, 寂しい is the more natural fit. You could write: 引っ越しちゃって、すごく寂しいよ。会いたいな。— “Now that you’ve moved, I really miss you. I want to see you.” That combination of 寂しい and 会いたい is exactly how Japanese speakers express missing someone to a close friend.
Nuanced Emotion Words Only Japanese Has
One of the most rewarding parts of learning Japanese is discovering emotion words that do not map cleanly onto anything in English. These are not exotic rarities — they appear regularly in everyday conversation, literature, and media. Learning them gives you access to emotional concepts your first language may not have given you words for.
| Japanese | Reading | Closest English | What it really means | When to use it | Anime / J-pop example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 懐かしい | なつかしい | “Nostalgic” | A warm, sweet longing for something from the past — a place, a sound, a smell, a period of life. Not melancholy, more like a gentle glow. | Hearing a song from childhood; returning to your hometown; seeing an old photo | あの頃が懐かしいな — “Those days feel so nostalgic.” Common in J-pop ballads about youth. |
| 切ない | せつない | “Bittersweet,” “aching” | A tender, aching sadness — not grief, but a gentle pain in the chest. Often carries a sense of beauty within the sadness. Common in love, partings, and longing. | A love that cannot be, watching someone leave, an unrequited feeling, a beautiful sad moment | Core vocabulary of J-pop romance lyrics; 切ない恋 (a bittersweet love) is a lyric staple. |
| 悔しい | くやしい | “Frustrated regret” | The specific sting of falling just short — losing a competition by one point, making a mistake that cost you something, being beaten when you know you could have won. More frustration than guilt. | Sports, tests, competitions, missed opportunities; saying くやしい！is a natural exclamation in these contexts | Sports anime: a character who loses shouts くやしい！or grits their teeth. Very common. |
| もどかしい | もどかしい | “Exasperating,” “maddening” | The frustration of not being able to do something the way you want — wanting to express something but lacking the words, wanting to help but being unable, watching someone struggle when you can’t assist. | Struggling to speak a foreign language; watching someone make a mistake you can’t fix; a situation where you feel helpless | More common in literary and drama contexts than anime action; often used in adult coming-of-age stories. |
YukaI keep hearing 切ない in J-pop lyrics and anime, but every time I look it up I just get “sad” or “bittersweet,” which doesn’t quite feel right. What does it actually mean?
ReiYou are right to feel that “bittersweet” is close but not quite there. 切ない is a tender, aching feeling — like a tightness in the chest. It often has beauty inside the sadness. A love that cannot be, a goodbye you knew was coming, a moment so beautiful it hurts a little. Japanese has quite a few emotions like this that English has to work hard to describe. 懐かしい is another one — that warm, glowing feeling for something from your past. And 悔しい is completely its own thing: the specific sting of falling just short of something. These words are worth learning because they give you emotional vocabulary your own language may not have handed you.
Anime, Manga, and J-Pop Emotion Vocabulary
If you consume any Japanese media, you will encounter certain emotion words constantly. Some are perfectly natural in everyday conversation; others belong mostly to the dramatic register of fiction and music. Here are six you should know — and a note on which ones to use in real life.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Safe for daily use? | Where you’ll hear it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 切ない | せつない | Bittersweet ache, tender sadness | Yes — perfectly natural | J-pop lyrics, drama, emotional anime scenes; also everyday conversation about longing |
| ドキドキ | どきどき | Heart pounding — nervousness or excitement, especially romantic | Yes — very common | Romance anime/manga; also natural: ドキドキした！ “My heart was pounding!” |
| 胸が痛い | むねがいたい | “My chest hurts” — emotional pain, heartbreak | Yes, in emotional context | Drama and music; also used naturally to express heartbreak or distress |
| 泣きそう | なきそう | “About to cry” — on the verge of tears | Yes — very natural | Everyday use: 泣きそうだった。”I was about to cry.” Also common in anime dialogue. |
| やばい | やばい | Emotional overload — can mean amazing, terrible, or overwhelming depending on context | Yes, casual speech only | Slang common among younger speakers; widely heard in anime and J-pop. See the やばい / まじ / すごい guide for detail. |
| 胸キュン | むねキュン | A heart-flutter feeling from something romantically sweet | Casual/informal | Romance manga, variety shows, song titles; also used in casual conversation about cute romantic moments |
Sympathy and Empathy Phrases — How to Respond to Emotions
Knowing emotion vocabulary is only half the job. When a Japanese friend shares how they are feeling, responding naturally is just as important as expressing your own emotions. Japanese empathy tends toward quiet acknowledgment rather than big, effusive reactions — a simple それは大変でしたね lands far more naturally than a lengthy expression of sympathy.
| Phrase | Reading | English meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| それは大変でしたね。 | それはたいへんでしたね。 | “That must have been tough / difficult.” | When someone shares a hard experience; widely applicable and natural |
| よかったね。 | よかったね。 | “I’m glad (for you) / That’s great news.” | When someone shares good news; warm and sincere |
| 心配しないで。 | しんぱいしないで。 | “Don’t worry.” | When reassuring someone who is anxious; gentle and caring |
| 無理しないで。 | むりしないで。 | “Don’t push yourself too hard / Take it easy.” | When someone is stressed, tired, or overworking; shows care without pressure |
| 大丈夫？ | だいじょうぶ？ | “Are you okay?” | A simple, natural check-in when someone seems upset or is going through something |
| 気持ちわかるよ。 | きもちわかるよ。 | “I understand how you feel / I get it.” | Expressing that you genuinely empathize; use with close friends |
| つらかったね。 | つらかったね。 | “That was painful / hard for you, wasn’t it.” | Acknowledging someone’s pain or difficulty; quiet and sincere |
| うれしいね。 | うれしいね。 | “That’s great / How wonderful (sharing in your happiness).” | Sharing in someone else’s good feeling; reflects their joy back to them |
Cultural note: In Japanese conversation, empathy is often expressed by briefly mirroring the other person’s emotion (それはつらかったね) rather than immediately offering advice or silver linings. Jumping straight to “but I’m sure it will work out!” can feel dismissive. A quiet acknowledgment first — and then, if the person wants to talk more, following their lead — is the culturally natural approach.
Common Mistakes English Speakers Make
Here are six errors that appear regularly at the beginner-to-intermediate level, with corrections.
Mistake 1: Using 気分 and 気持ち interchangeably
✗ 彼に対する気分を伝えたい。(Trying to say “I want to tell him how I feel about him.”)
✓ 彼に対する気持ちを伝えたい。
気分 is your general mood or momentary state (“I’m in a good mood today”). 気持ち is the feeling you have toward something or someone specifically.
Mistake 2: Using 嬉しい for activities
✗ 旅行は嬉しかった。(You experienced the trip; you didn’t receive it.)
✓ 旅行は楽しかった。
Reserve 嬉しい for reactions to things given to you, news that reaches you, or kindness shown to you.
Mistake 3: Using 悲しい for every sadness including loneliness
✗ 友達がいなくて悲しい。(Technically grammatical, but misses the loneliness nuance.)
✓ 友達がいなくて寂しい。
When the feeling is specifically about absence or being alone, 寂しい is the precise and natural word.
Mistake 4: Translating “I feel…” as 私は感じます
✗ 私は幸せを感じます。(Unnatural — this construction is overly formal and literal.)
✓ 幸せだ。/ 幸せを感じる。(The simpler forms are far more natural.)
In casual speech, Japanese speakers often just state the emotion directly: 嬉しい！悲しいな。寂しいよ。Adding 私は感じます makes it sound like a translation exercise.
Mistake 5: Overusing 愛している for everyday affection
✗ ありがとう、愛している！(To a friend, this is startling — it’s the equivalent of “I love you” with full romantic weight.)
✓ ありがとう、大好き！
大好き（だいすき）is warm and widely used for friends, family, things you love. 愛している（あいしている）is reserved for deep romantic love and is rarely said casually in Japanese even between partners.
Mistake 6: Skipping the empathy step and jumping straight to advice
When someone tells you something difficult, responding immediately with 大丈夫だよ！(“It’ll be fine!”) or giving solutions can feel dismissive. The culturally natural move is to acknowledge first: それは大変でしたね or つらかったね. Then let them decide whether they want advice or just to be heard.
Quick Quiz
Test yourself! Choose the best word or phrase for each situation. Answers are below.
Question 1: Your friend got into the university of their dreams. Which word describes their happiness: 嬉しい or 楽しい?
Question 2: You’ve been living alone for two months and you miss your family. Which word fits better: 悲しい or 寂しい?
Question 3: You want to say “I’m in a great mood today.” Which word do you use: 気持ち, 感情, or 気分?
Question 4: Which of the following is an emotion onomatopoeia?
A) 感動する B) ドキドキする C) 怒る
Question 5: A friend tells you they failed their driving test for the third time. Which response is most natural?
A) 大丈夫！次は絶対受かるよ！
B) それは大変でしたね。
C) 感情を出さないほうがいいよ。
Answers:
1. 嬉しい — Getting into university is receiving good news; it triggers a reaction.
2. 寂しい — Missing your family because of their absence is the definition of 寂しい.
3. 気分 — 今日は気分がいい！Your general mood or momentary state is 気分.
4. B) ドキドキする — ドキドキ is an onomatopoeia describing a racing heart. 感動する and 怒る are standard verbs.
5. B) それは大変でしたね — Acknowledge first. Option A jumps straight to reassurance without acknowledgment; Option C is inappropriate and unnatural.
Share Your Thoughts!
Which emotion word from this guide surprised you most? Was it an onomatopoeia like ドキドキ, a concept-without-translation like 切ない, or a common pair like 嬉しい vs 楽しい that you had been confusing? Share in the comments below — and let us know which emotion you are most excited to use next time you speak Japanese!
Keep Learning
Ready to keep building your Japanese vocabulary and conversation skills? These JPyokoso articles connect directly to what you just studied:
