How to say how you really feel in Japanese
最近、なんだかやる気が出なくて…。
saikin, nandaka yaruki ga denakute….
“Lately I just can't find any motivation…”
When: Admitting you are not doing great
The moment
A colleague notices you have been quiet all week and takes you for coffee near the Tokyo office. You tell them honestly how you are doing, then get them to open up too.
B1 · Unit 2 · Stories & feelings
The lines
Trailing off with 〜なくて
「最近、なんだかやる気が出なくて…。」 leaves the sentence hanging on purpose. Trailing off with 〜なくて admits a feeling without dramatising it, and lets the other person fill in the rest.
最近、なんだかやる気が出なくて…。
saikin, nandaka yaruki ga denakute….
“Lately I just can't find any motivation…”
When to use it: Admitting you are not doing great
What you’ll hear back: そうだったんですか。何かあったんですか。 sō datta n desu ka. nanika atta n desu ka. (Oh, I had no idea. Did something happen?)
Checking in gently
Name what you notice, softened by なんだか and みたい: 「なんだか元気がないみたいですけど、大丈夫ですか。」 The けど leaves the door open, so they can brush it off or start talking.
なんだか元気がないみたいですけど、大丈夫ですか。
nandaka genki ga nai mitai desu kedo, daijōbu desu ka.
“You seem a bit down. Are you OK?”
When to use it: When a friend has clearly been off all week
What you’ll hear back: 実は、ちょっと落ち込んでて…。 jitsu wa, chotto ochikonde te…. (Actually, I have been a bit down…)
Words for this scene
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| それは大変でしたね | sore wa taihen deshita ne | that must have been rough |
そうだったんですか。それは大変でしたね。 So that is what happened. That must have been rough. Tip: Sympathy first; jumping straight to solutions reads as cold. | ||
| もやもやする | moyamoya suru | to feel unsettled, to have a nagging feeling |
理由はわからないんですけど、ずっともやもやしてるんです。 I do not know why, but I have had this nagging feeling the whole time. Tip: Perfect for a feeling you cannot name; very common between friends. | ||
| その気持ち、わかります | sono kimochi, wakarimasu | I know that feeling |
その気持ち、すごくわかります。私もそうでした。 I really know that feeling. I was the same. Tip: Dropping を after 気持ち sounds warm and spoken, not bookish. | ||
Your objective
Say honestly how you’ve been feeling and why, then ask how they’re really doing and respond with care.
- how you’ve been feeling
- why
- a caring response
Lines that get it done
- 最近、なんだかやる気が出なくて…。
- なんだか元気がないみたいですけど、大丈夫ですか。
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. You want to admit that you have had no motivation lately. Which sounds natural?
- 最近、なんだかやる気が出なくて…。
- 最近、やる気を持っていません。
- 最近、やる気が好きじゃないです。
- 最近、やる気を出しました。
Show the answer
最近、なんだかやる気が出なくて…。
やる気が出ない is the set phrase for lacking motivation, and the trailing 〜なくて softens the admission.
2. Your friend tells you their flat was flooded last night. What do you say first?
- それは大変でしたね。
- それはよかったですね。
- それは面白いですね。
- そうですか。頑張ってください。
Show the answer
それは大変でしたね。
それは大変でしたね acknowledges the hardship; 頑張ってください pushes them on before they have been heard.
3. Which phrase describes feeling vaguely unsettled rather than clearly sad or angry?
- もやもやします
- ほっとします
- わくわくします
- すっきりします
Show the answer
もやもやします
もやもや is the cloudy, unresolved feeling; すっきり is its opposite.