Meaning of Kanashii in Japanese

Sad girl
kanashii; sorrowful. Annie Otzen / Getty Images

Kanashii is a Japanese word meaning sad or sorrowful. Learn more about its pronunciation and usage in the Japanese language below.

Pronunciation

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Meaning

sad; sorrowful

Japanese Characters

悲しい (かなしい)

Example & Translation

Watashi wa sono shirase o kiite totemo kanashikatta.
私はその知らせを聞いてとても悲しかった。

or in English:

I was very sad to hear the news.

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Abe, Namiko. "Meaning of Kanashii in Japanese." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/kanashii-meaning-and-characters-2028720. Abe, Namiko. (2023, April 5). Meaning of Kanashii in Japanese. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/kanashii-meaning-and-characters-2028720 Abe, Namiko. "Meaning of Kanashii in Japanese." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/kanashii-meaning-and-characters-2028720 (accessed March 28, 2024).