Knowing how to express emotions in Japanese is essential for real conversations. This guide covers the most common daily emotion words — from happiness to frustration — with examples and usage notes.
At a Glance
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| 嬉しい | うれしい (ureshii) | Happy, glad | Casual/Standard |
| 悲しい | かなしい (kanashii) | Sad | Casual/Standard |
| 怒る | おこる (okoru) | To get angry | Casual |
| 驚く | おどろく (odoroku) | To be surprised | Casual/Standard |
| 恥ずかしい | はずかしい (hazukashii) | Embarrassed, shy | Casual |
| 不安 | ふあん (fuan) | Anxious, worried | Standard/Formal |
| 寂しい | さびしい (sabishii) | Lonely | Casual/Standard |
| 緊張する | きんちょうする (kinchou suru) | To be nervous | Standard |
Happiness and Positive Emotions
嬉しい (ureshii) — Happy, glad. Used when something good happens to you personally.
Example: プレゼントをもらって、すごく嬉しい！
I’m so happy I got a present!
楽しい (tanoshii) — Fun, enjoyable. Describes an activity or situation that is enjoyable.
Example: 昨日のパーティーはとても楽しかった。
Yesterday’s party was really fun.
感謝する (kansha suru) — To feel grateful. More formal than simply saying “thank you.”
Example: 助けてくれて、本当に感謝しています。
I truly feel grateful that you helped me.
YukaRei, how do you say “I feel embarrassed” in Japanese?
ReiYou’d say 恥ずかしい (hazukashii)! It covers both embarrassment and shyness. If you want to be more specific about shyness, you can say 照れる (tereru).
YukaOh! So 恥ずかしい is more general and 照れる is more like being bashful?
ReiExactly! 恥ずかしい is stronger — it can mean embarrassment from a mistake. 照れる is gentler, like blushing from a compliment.
Negative Emotions
悲しい (kanashii) — Sad. A deep, genuine sadness.
Example: 別れの日は悲しかった。
The day of parting was sad.
怒る (okoru) — To get angry, to be upset. Note: 怒る can also mean “to scold.”
Example: 彼女は私の失礼な発言に怒った。
She got angry at my rude remark.
イライラする (iraira suru) — To feel irritated, frustrated. Very common in daily speech.
Example: 電車が遅れてイライラした。
I got frustrated because the train was late.
不安 (fuan) — Anxiety, unease. Often used as 不安に思う or simply 不安だ.
Example: 試験の前はいつも不安になる。
I always get anxious before exams.
Surprise and Shock
驚く (odoroku) — To be surprised, to be shocked. The adjective form is 驚いた (odoroita).
Example: サプライズパーティーに本当に驚いた！
I was really surprised at the surprise party!
びっくりする (bikkuri suru) — To be startled, shocked. More casual than 驚く.
Example: 急に声をかけられてびっくりした。
I was startled when someone suddenly called out to me.
Tip: びっくり is onomatopoeia expressing the feeling of shock — very common in everyday Japanese.
Loneliness and Nervousness
寂しい (sabishii) — Lonely. Can be written 淋しい (less common).
Example: 一人で夕食を食べると寂しい気持ちになる。
Eating dinner alone makes me feel lonely.
緊張する (kinchou suru) — To be nervous, to feel tension.
Example: 発表の前、とても緊張した。
I was very nervous before the presentation.
YukaI keep mixing up 怖い (kowai) and 怒る (okoru). They sound different but I forget which is which!
ReiEasy trick: 怖い = “scary/afraid” — think K for “Kowai = scared.” 怒る = “angry” — the o sound is like an “oh!” of outrage!
YukaHaha, that helps! So 怖い映画 is a scary movie and 先生が怒る is the teacher gets angry?
ReiPerfect! You got it.
5 Practice Sentences
| # | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 彼のジョークが面白くて、笑いが止まらなかった。 | His joke was so funny I couldn’t stop laughing. |
| 2 | 大事な物を失くして、とても悲しい。 | I lost something important and I feel very sad. |
| 3 | 発表で失敗して恥ずかしかった。 | I was embarrassed when I made a mistake during the presentation. |
| 4 | 新しい仕事が始まって、少し不安だけど楽しみでもある。 | My new job is starting and I feel a bit anxious but also excited. |
| 5 | 友達が引っ越してから、寂しくてたまらない。 | Since my friend moved away, I feel incredibly lonely. |
Common Mistakes
| Wrong | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 私は嬉しいです for “I was glad” | 嬉しかったです | 嬉しい is an i-adjective — past tense is 嬉しかった |
| 怒い (okoi) | 怒っている (okotte iru) | 怒る is a verb — to express a current state use て-form + いる |
| Using 悲しい for “pathetic” | 情けない (nasakenai) | 悲しい = genuine sadness; “pathetic/lame” is 情けない |
Quick Quiz
Fill in the blank with the correct emotion word:
1. 大切な友達が遠くに行って___。(I’m feeling ___.) → 寂しい (sabishii)
2. プレゼンの直前は___します。(Just before a presentation, you feel ___.) → 緊張 (kinchou)
3. サプライズに___した！(I was ___ at the surprise!) → びっくり / 驚い (bikkuri / odoroita)
Practice in the Comments!
Try writing your own sentence using today’s vocabulary in the comments below! Making mistakes is part of learning — Yuka and Rei started the same way. Leave your example sentence, and join the Top Commenters ranking!
Keep Learning: Vocabulary Hub | Adjectives | N5 Vocabulary
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