Emotions in Japanese | 60+ Feeling Words & Phrases

Want to say "I'm happy," "I'm nervous," or "I feel lonely" in Japanese? The hard part is not just memorizing emotion words. Japanese uses different sentence patterns depending on whether you are talking about your own feelings, someone else's feelings, or the mood something seems to have.

This guide gives you 60+ emotions in Japanese, natural phrases for saying how you feel, and the grammar patterns learners need most: です, 〜いです, 〜そう, 気き持もち, and 気き分ぶん.

If you want a longer lesson path after this list, open our expressing emotions in Japanese lesson. If you want vocabulary by category, also see the emotions noun list.

Table of Contents

• Feeling Map: What Are You Trying to Say?
• 60+ Japanese Emotion Words, Mood Words, and Feeling Phrases
• How to Say I Feel in Japanese
• Positive Emotions
• Negative Emotions
• Nervous, Embarrassed, and Confused Feelings
• Using 〜そう for How Someone Seems
• Kimochi vs Kibun
• Sentence Paths for Real Situations
• Emotion Phrases by Situation
• Natural Example Sentences
• Natural Usage Notes

Feeling Map: What Are You Trying to Say?

Start with the sentence you want to make, then choose the Japanese pattern.

If you only remember one route, use this:

自じ分ぶんの気き持もち: うれしいです。
Jibun no kimochi: ureshii desu.
Your own feeling: I am happy.

相あい手ての様よう子す: うれしそうです。
Aite no yousu: ureshisou desu.
How someone seems: They look happy.

60+ Japanese Emotion Words, Mood Words, and Feeling Phrases

Japanese feeling words do not all work the same way. Some are i-adjectives, like うれしい and 悲かなしい. Some are noun-like words, like 心しん配ぱい and 安あん心しん. Others are full phrases, like 会あいたいです or 頭あたまが真まっ白しろです.

Focus on the "Natural phrase" column first. That is the form you can actually use in conversation.

Positive Feelings

Sad and Anxious Feelings

Nervous, Embarrassed, and Confused Feelings

Anger and Irritation

Tiredness, Mood, and Body Feelings

Relationship Feelings

Useful Reaction Phrases

How to Say I Feel in Japanese

For your own emotions, the simplest pattern is:

Emotion word + です

うれしいです。
Ureshii desu.
I am happy.

寂さびしいです。
Sabishii desu.
I am lonely.

For nouns like 心しん配ぱい and 安あん心しん, you usually use:

Emotion noun + です / しました / しています

心しん配ぱいです。
Shinpai desu.
I am worried.

安あん心しんしました。
Anshin shimashita.
I feel relieved.

緊きん張ちょうしています。
Kinchou shite imasu.
I am nervous.

This is the same basic idea as Japanese adjectives: some emotion words behave like i-adjectives, while others behave more like nouns or na-adjectives.

Positive Emotions

うれしい: happy, glad

Use うれしい when something good happens to you or someone does something kind.

プレゼントをもらってうれしいです。
Purezento o moratte ureshii desu.
I am happy I received a present.

楽たのしい: fun, enjoyable

楽たのしい describes an experience, event, or activity that is fun.

日に本ほん語ごの勉べん強きょうは楽たのしいです。
Nihongo no benkyou wa tanoshii desu.
Studying Japanese is fun.

安あん心しん: relief

安あん心しん is the feeling when worry goes away.

友ともだちが無ぶ事じで安あん心しんしました。
Tomodachi ga buji de anshin shimashita.
I felt relieved that my friend was safe.

好すき: like

好すき is not exactly an emotion like "happy," but it is one of the most useful feeling words.

日に本ほんの音おん楽がくが好すきです。
Nihon no ongaku ga suki desu.
I like Japanese music.

Notice the particle が. In Japanese, 好すき usually marks the thing you like with が. See more in our は vs が guide.

Negative Emotions

悲かなしい: sad

悲かなしい is direct sadness.

そのニュースを聞きいて悲かなしいです。
Sono nyuusu o kiite kanashii desu.
I am sad after hearing that news.

寂さびしい: lonely

寂さびしい is loneliness or missing someone.

家か族ぞくに会あえなくて寂さびしいです。
Kazoku ni aenakute sabishii desu.
I feel lonely because I cannot see my family.

怖こわい: scary, afraid

怖こわい can describe something scary or the feeling of being scared.

暗くらい道みちが怖こわいです。
Kurai michi ga kowai desu.
Dark roads are scary.

心しん配ぱい: worry

心しん配ぱい is worry or concern.

明日あしたのテストが心しん配ぱいです。
Ashita no tesuto ga shinpai desu.
I am worried about tomorrow's test.

Nervous, Embarrassed, and Confused Feelings

緊きん張ちょうする: to feel nervous

Use 緊きん張ちょうする before speeches, tests, interviews, dates, or anything stressful.

面めん接せつの前まえはいつも緊きん張ちょうします。
Mensetsu no mae wa itsumo kinchou shimasu.
I always get nervous before interviews.

恥はずかしい: embarrassed

恥はずかしい can mean embarrassed, shy, or ashamed depending on context.

みんなの前まえで話はなしすのは恥はずかしいです。
Minna no mae de hanasu no wa hazukashii desu.
Speaking in front of everyone is embarrassing.

びっくりする: to be surprised

びっくりする is a natural everyday phrase for surprise.

大おおきな音おとにびっくりしました。
Ookina oto ni bikkuri shimashita.
I was surprised by the loud sound.

分わからない and 迷まよう: confused, unsure

Japanese often says "I do not understand" or "I am unsure" instead of using one direct word for confused.

何なにをすればいいか分わかりません。
Nani o sureba ii ka wakarimasen.
I do not know what I should do.

どちらを選えらぶか迷まよっています。
Dochira o erabu ka mayotte imasu.
I am unsure which one to choose.

Using そう for How Someone Seems

Here is an important rule: in Japanese, you usually avoid declaring another person's inner emotion too directly. Instead, you say how they seem.

Use:

i-adjective without final い + そう

彼かれはうれしそうです。
Kare wa ureshisou desu.
He looks happy.

彼かの女じょは寂さびしそうです。
Kanojo wa sabishisou desu.
She looks lonely.

For nouns and na-adjectives:

word + そう

先せん生せいは心しん配ぱいそうです。
Sensei wa shinpai sou desu.
The teacher looks worried.

Be careful with いい:

気き分ぶんがよさそうです。
Kibun ga yosasou desu.
They seem to be feeling good.

The pattern uses よさそう, not いいそう. For more grammar like this, review adjective combinations.

気き持もち vs 気き分ぶん: Kimochi vs Kibun

Both 気き持もち and 気き分ぶん can connect to feelings, but they are not identical.

気き持もち: feeling, emotion, sensation

気き持もち is broad. It can mean an emotional feeling, physical sensation, or someone's intention.

気き持もちが分わかります。
Kimochi ga wakarimasu.
I understand how you feel.

変へんな気き持もちです。
Hen na kimochi desu.
It feels strange.

気き分ぶん: mood, physical condition

気き分ぶん often describes your mood or how your body feels.

今日きょうは気き分ぶんがいいです。
Kyou wa kibun ga ii desu.
I feel good today.

気き分ぶんが悪わるいです。
Kibun ga warui desu.
I feel sick.

Simple guide:

• Use 気き持もち for emotional feeling or "how someone feels."
• Use 気き分ぶん for mood or physical condition.

Sentence Paths for Real Situations

You want to say "I'm happy because..."

Use the te-form to connect the cause and the feeling.

友ともだちに会あえてうれしいです。
Tomodachi ni aete ureshii desu.
I am happy I could see my friend.

合ごう格かくできて本ほん当とうにうれしいです。
Goukaku dekite hontou ni ureshii desu.
I am really happy I passed.

You want to say "I'm worried about..."

Use the thing you worry about with が.

明日あしたの試し験けんが心しん配ぱいです。
Ashita no shiken ga shinpai desu.
I am worried about tomorrow's exam.

友ともだちのことが心しん配ぱいです。
Tomodachi no koto ga shinpai desu.
I am worried about my friend.

You want to say "That looks..."

Use 〜そう when you are reading the mood from the outside.

その話はなしは楽たのしそうです。
Sono hanashi wa tanoshisou desu.
That story sounds fun.

あの人ひとは忙いそがしそうです。
Ano hito wa isogashisou desu.
That person looks busy.

You want to say "I feel kind of..."

Use ちょっと to soften the feeling.

今日きょうはちょっと疲つかれています。
Kyou wa chotto tsukarete imasu.
I am a little tired today.

ちょっと緊きん張ちょうしています。
Chotto kinchou shite imasu.
I am a little nervous.

Emotion Phrases by Situation

When You Receive Good News

Use these when something good happens and you want to react naturally.

合ごう格かくできて、本ほん当とうにうれしいです。
Goukaku dekite, hontou ni ureshii desu.
I am really happy I passed.

Before an Interview or Test

These phrases fit interviews, exams, speeches, and anything that makes you tense.

緊きん張ちょうしています uses ている because it describes your current state. 落おち着つきたいです uses the tai form because it says what you want to do.

When You Miss Someone

Japanese has several ways to express missing someone, from direct to soft.

家か族ぞくに会あえなくて、寂さびしいです。
Kazoku ni aenakute, sabishii desu.
I feel lonely because I cannot see my family.

When You Are Angry or Irritated

These phrases range from mild irritation to stronger frustration.

腹はらが立たつ is more emotional than イライラする. If you need to stay polite, soften it with ちょっと or explain what you need next.

Casual vs Polite Feeling Phrases

The same feeling can sound very different depending on who you are talking to.

Casual forms fit close friends, family, and private messages. Polite forms are safer with teachers, coworkers, staff, and people you do not know well.

Natural Example Sentences

試し験けんに合ごう格かくして、本ほん当とうにうれしいです。
Shiken ni goukaku shite, hontou ni ureshii desu.
I am really happy that I passed the exam.

一人ひとりで住すんでいるので、時々ときどき寂さびしいです。
Hitori de sunde iru node, tokidoki sabishii desu.
I live alone, so I feel lonely sometimes.

新あたらしい仕し事ごとに少すこし緊きん張ちょうしています。
Atarashii shigoto ni sukoshi kinchou shite imasu.
I am a little nervous about my new job.

友ともだちの話はなしを聞きいて安あん心しんしました。
Tomodachi no hanashi o kiite anshin shimashita.
I felt relieved after hearing from my friend.

その映えい画がは怖こわかったけど、おもしろかったです。
Sono eiga wa kowakatta kedo, omoshirokatta desu.
That movie was scary, but interesting.

彼かれは疲つかれていそうです。
Kare wa tsukarete isou desu.
He looks tired.

Natural Usage Notes

Talking About Another Person's Feelings

When you are guessing from appearance, 〜そう sounds more natural than stating the emotion as a fact.

彼かれは悲かなしいです。
Kare wa kanashii desu.
He is sad.

For what you can see:

彼かれは悲かなしそうです。
Kare wa kanashisou desu.
He looks sad.

うれしい vs 楽たのしい

楽たのしい means fun or enjoyable. For "I am happy/glad," use うれしい.

友ともだちに会あえてうれしいです。
Tomodachi ni aete ureshii desu.
I am happy I could see my friend.

好すき Uses が

Natural Japanese usually says:

猫ねこが好すきです。
Neko ga suki desu.
I like cats.

Not:

猫ねこを好すきです。
Neko o suki desu.

気き持もち and 気き分ぶん Point to Different Things

For physical condition, use 気き分ぶん:

気き分ぶんが悪わるいです。
Kibun ga warui desu.
I feel sick.

For emotional understanding, use 気き持もち:

その気き持もち、分わかります。
Sono kimochi, wakarimasu.
I know that feeling.

What to Study Next

If this page helped, the next best step is to learn how emotions connect to grammar:

• Expressing Emotions in Japanese
• Japanese Adjectives Conjugation Guide
• Japanese Particles: は vs が
• Emotions Vocabulary List

For practice, try writing five sentences about your day using うれしい, 心しん配ぱい, 緊きん張ちょう, 寂さびしい, and 気き分ぶん.