How to Say ‘Is painful / uncomfortable?’ in Japanese
つらいですか。
tsurai desu ka
[tsoo-rai dess kah]
💬 Usage Tip: [つらい] does not only mean sharp pain. It can also mean stiffness, soreness, or discomfort—very useful for massages.
🇯🇵 In Japan: In wellness settings, [つらい] often sounds softer and more natural than strongly saying something is “painful.”
Phrase Breakdown
つらい
tsurai
[tsoo-rai]
painful; tough; uncomfortable
Describes something as physically painful or hard to bear.
首がつらいです。
My neck is bothering me.
です
desu
[dess]
is; am; are
The polite copula. It makes the sentence polite and complete.
肩がつらいです。
My shoulder is painful.
か
ka
[kah]
question marker
A particle added at the end to make the sentence a question.
大丈夫ですか。
Are you okay?
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