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How to Say ‘It hurts / it is painful’ in Japanese

つらいです

tsurai desu

[tsoo-rah-ee dess]

💬 Usage Tip: [つらいです] means “it’s painful” or “it’s uncomfortable.” It can describe physical pain without sounding too dramatic.

🇯🇵 In Japan: Compared with very strong words for pain, [つらいです] can sound more natural in everyday service situations.

Phrase Breakdown

つらい

tsurai

[tsoo-rah-ee]

painful; hard; uncomfortable

Describes something as painful or difficult physically.

Example

首がつらいです。

My neck is painful.

です

desu

[dess]

is; am; are

A polite copula used to end sentences politely.

Example

大丈夫です。

It is okay.

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