Word
切ない
Meaning in Englishpainful, trying, sad
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
What does 切ない mean? It describes a bittersweet emotional ache that grips the heart when longing, nostalgia, or unfulfilled desire is felt; the core idea is a sharp, lingering sadness that is tender rather than brutal.
Main meanings
- 悲しい (kanashii) — sadness mixed with longing or pain
- 物悲しい (monoganashii) — melancholic, quietly desolate mood
- やるせない (yarusenai) — heart-wrenching, powerless ache
- 侘しい (wabashii) — desolate, forlorn atmosphere
How to use it
As an i-adjective, 切ない is used to describe emotional states and situations. It is common in casual speech and literature, and can modify a noun directly as 切ない気持ち, or appear in phrases to convey mood. It typically denotes inward emotional pain rather than physical pain and often appears in romantic or melancholic contexts, including songs, films, and prose.
Variants and close terms
- 悲しい (kanashii) — synonym; sadness
- 物悲しい (monoganashii) — melancholic
- やるせない (yarusenai) — heart-wrenching
- 侘しい (wabashii) — desolate
- antonym: 楽しい (tanoshii) — joyful
Composition
- 切: to cut; sharp edge; metaphor for a piercing emotional impact
- ない: negative suffix; attaches to the stem of an i-adjective to negate or form the 'setsunai' nuance
Word class
i-adjective (形容詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
切開
sekkai
opening up, cutting through
N1
切実
setsujitsu
compelling, serious, severe, acute
N1
痛切
tsuusetsu
keen, deep
N1
持ち切り
mochikiri
hot topic, talk of the town
N2
～切れ
～kire
out of ~
N2
売り切れ
urikire
sold-out
N2
売り切れる
urikireru
to be sold out
N2
思い切り
omoikiri
with all one's strength (heart), resignation, resolution
N2
思いっ切り
omoikkiri
very, much, fully
Kanji