How to Say ‘That's tough.’ in Japanese
それはつらいね。
sore wa tsurai ne
[soh-reh wah tsoo-rah-ee neh]
💬 Usage Tip: A very natural, compassionate response. It validates the other person’s pain without overreacting. Excellent support phrase.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese empathy often sounds calm and understated. This kind of simple acknowledgment can feel more supportive than dramatic sympathy.
Phrase Breakdown
それは
sore wa
that is; that thing is
A topic marker phrase introducing the situation being discussed.
それはいいね。
That’s nice.
Words in this phrase
それ
sore
[soh-reh]
that
Refers to the situation the other person talked about.
それはつらいね。
That's tough.
は
wa
[wah]
topic marker
Marks 'that' as the topic; pronounced 'wa.'
それはつらいね。
That's tough.
つらいね
tsurai ne
that’s tough; that’s painful
A sympathetic phrase meaning something is emotionally or physically hard.
それはつらいね。
That must be tough.
Words in this phrase
つらい
tsurai
[tsoo-rah-ee]
painful; tough
Expresses that something feels emotionally hard.
それはつらいね。
That's tough.
ね
ne
[neh]
isn't it; right
Adds empathy and softens the statement.
それはつらいね。
That's tough, isn't it.
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