Languages › Japanese Meaning of Kanashii in Japanese Print kanashii; sorrowful. Annie Otzen / Getty Images Japanese Essential Japanese Vocabulary History & Culture Japanese Grammar By Namiko Abe Namiko Abe Japanese Language Expert B.A., Kwansei Gakuin University Namiko Abe is a Japanese language teacher and translator, as well as a Japanese calligraphy expert. She has been a freelance writer for nearly 20 years. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on April 18, 2018 Kanashii is a Japanese word meaning sad or sorrowful. Learn more about its pronunciation and usage in the Japanese language below. Pronunciation Click here to listen to the audio file. Meaning of Muzukashii in Japanese By Namiko Abe Read More 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. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation 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). copy citation