How to Say ‘I was nervous.’ in Japanese
緊張してました。
kinchou shi te mashi ta
[keen-choh shee teh mah-shee tah]
💬 Usage Tip: Great icebreaker. Slightly more “right now” feeling: [緊張してます].
🇯🇵 In Japan: In Japan, saying [緊張してました] can lower pressure and create a friendly, relaxed first-date atmosphere.
Phrase Breakdown
緊張
kinchou
[keen-choh]
nervousness / tension
Means “nervousness.” Very common on first dates: 緊張してました = “I was nervous.” It can break the ice and create closeness.
最初は緊張 してました。
At first, I was nervous.
してました
shi te mashi ta
was doing; had been doing
Casual spoken contraction of していました (was doing). Here, 緊張してました = “I was nervous.”
昨日は勉強してました。
I was studying yesterday.
Words in this phrase
し
shi
[shee]
do (stem)
し is the stem of する. With 緊張する = “to get nervous.”
緊張 し ないで。
Don’t be nervous.
て
te
[teh]
-te (linking form)
Part of the spoken form してました (= していました).
緊張し て ました。
I was nervous.
まし
mashi
[mah-shee]
polite past “was…” (shortened)
まし + た together are the polite past ending (ました). Here it indicates a past state: “was nervous.”
ずっと緊張して まし た。
I was nervous the whole time.
た
ta
[tah]
past tense ending
た finalizes the polite past. Together with まし: ました.
緊張してまし た。
I was nervous.
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