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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "guilty" in Japanese?
罪悪感がある
zaiakukan gaaru
In Japanese, "guilty" is 罪悪感がある (zaiakukan gaaru).
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Pronunciation
Say zai-ah-koo-KAHN gah AH-roo, zaiakukan is four syllables, keep them level until the final nasal kan.
Writing and usage
罪悪感がある 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
忘れてしまったことに罪悪感を感じていた。
wasure teshimattakotoni zaiakukan wo kanji teita.
He felt guilty for forgetting.
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How to remember 罪悪感がある
Zaiakukan sounds like 'zai, a, con', picture a guilty conscience whispering 'that was a con' every time you cut corners.
Related words
- excited 興奮している koufun shiteiru
- thrilled とても興奮している totemo koufun shiteiru
- terrified 恐怖でいっぱいだ kyoufu deippaida
- shocked ショックを受けている shokku wo uke teiru
- disgusted 嫌悪感を抱いている ken'okan wo dai teiru
- sympathetic 共感的 kyoukan teki
- empathetic 共感的 kyoukan teki
- optimistic 楽観的だ rakukanteki da
- pessimistic 悲観的 hikanteki
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 罪悪感がある
How do you pronounce 罪悪感がある?
Say zai-ah-koo-KAHN gah AH-roo, zaiakukan is four syllables, keep them level until the final nasal kan.
Is 罪悪感がある formal or casual?
罪悪感がある 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 罪悪感がある written in Japanese?
罪悪感がある is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as zaiakukan gaaru.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
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"Guilty" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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