Japanese symbol for “sorrowful”
悲しい
かなしい
Romaji: kanashii
sad; miserable; unhappy; sorrowful
In Japanese, sorrowful is 悲しい, read かなしい (kanashii).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-i sad; miserable; unhappy; sorrowful
- adj-i sad; lamentable; deplorable; grievous
Written forms: 悲しい、哀しい、愛しい. Readings: かなしい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sorrowful”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 沈痛 | ちんつう chintsuu | grave; sad; mournful |
| 悲愴 | ひそう hisou | pathetic; sad; sorrowful |
| 物悲しい | ものがなしい monoganashii | sad; sorrowful; melancholy |
| 哀愁漂う | あいしゅうただよう aishuutadayou | sorrowful (e.g. person, scene, etc.); melancholic |
| 哀れ気 | あわれげ awarege | sad; sorrowful; pensive |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 悲劇 | ひげき higeki | tragedy; tragic drama; tragic play |
| 悲しみ | かなしみ kanashimi | sadness; sorrow; grief |
| 悲惨 | ひさん hisan | disastrous; tragic; miserable |
| 悲鳴 | ひめい himei | shriek; scream |
| 悲観 | ひかん hikan | pessimism; (taking a) gloomy view; discouragement |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sorrowful”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.