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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "gloomy" in Japanese?
陰鬱
in utsu
In Japanese, "gloomy" is 陰鬱 (in utsu).
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Pronunciation
Say IN-oo-tsoo, two clipped parts with a slight gap between them, the n at the end of in is nasal and soft.
Writing and usage
陰鬱 is written using kanji. It's a adjective, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
天気は灰色で陰鬱だった。
tenki ha haiiro de in utsu datta.
The weather was grey and gloomy.
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How to remember 陰鬱
In'utsu sounds like 'inn, oot-su', picture a gloomy, empty inn where the lights flicker and nobody ever checks in.
Related words
- jealous 嫉妬深い shittobukai
- proud 誇らしい hokorashii
- ashamed 恥ずかしい hazukashii
- embarrassed 恥ずかしい hazukashii
- confused 混乱している konran shiteiru
- curious 好奇心旺盛な koukishin'ousei na
- bored 退屈だ taikutsu da
- lonely 孤独だ kodoku da
- grateful 感謝している kanshashi teiru
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 陰鬱
How do you pronounce 陰鬱?
Say IN-oo-tsoo, two clipped parts with a slight gap between them, the n at the end of in is nasal and soft.
Is 陰鬱 formal or casual?
陰鬱 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 陰鬱 written in Japanese?
陰鬱 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as in utsu.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Gloomy" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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