Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "恐ろしい" vs "苦しい"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
恐ろしい
おそろしい (osoroshii)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
苦しい
くるしい (kurushii)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 恐ろしい and 苦しい are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
恐ろしい (おそろしい (osoroshii)) represents "terrible; dreadful; terrifying; frightening; fearful" (Level: N3) and typically represents Refers to terrifying, terrible, or dreadful situations, fears, disasters, or potential risks. Often used as 恐ろしい事故 or 恐ろしい結果. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'Terrifying! "A world without Haruka-san is terrifying!" ...っ! T-To say such an romantic thing! B-But a world without you is also terrifying to me, so stay next to me forever! Understood?!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『おそろしい（恐ろしい）！『ハルカさんのいない世界なんて、想像するだけで恐ろしいです！』って…っ！そんな大げさな愛 of 告白をするなんてバカ！…でも、私もあんたのいない世界は恐ろしいから、一生隣にいなさい！分かった？！』.
On the other hand, 苦しい (くるしい (kurushii)) translates to "painful; difficult; tough; tight; hard to breathe" (Level: N3) and is used for Refers to physical pain/difficulty in breathing, or mental distress/financial tightness. Often used as 息が苦しい or 苦しい家計. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'Painful! "My heart is painful because I love you too much, Haruka-san!" ...っ! T-To feel painful love! B-But since my chest is also painful with love for you, let's cure it with a tight, sweet hug! dummy!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『くるしい（苦しい）よ！『ハルカさんへの愛が大きすぎて、胸が苦しいです！』って…っ！そんな甘い胸の苦しみを訴えるなんてバカ！…私の胸もあんたへの愛で苦しいんだから、今すぐギュッとして治しなさい！』. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "恐ろしい"
自然災害の_______威力を目の当たりにして、人間は地球の強大なパワーに対する畏敬の念を抱かざるを得ませんでした。
Witnessing the terrible power of natural disasters, humans had to hold a sense of awe toward the powerful power of the Earth.
Bilingual Sentence for "苦しい"
急な坂道を全力で駆け上がったため、彼は息が_______なり、しばらくその場にしゃがみ込んで呼吸を整えました。
Because he ran up a steep slope with all his might, his breathing became painful, and he squatted down there for a while to adjust his breathing.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "自然災害の_______威力を目の当たりにして、人間は地球の強大なパワーに対する畏敬の念を抱かざるを得ませんでした。" (Meaning: "Witnessing the terrible power of natural disasters, humans had to hold a sense of awe toward the powerful power of the Earth.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "恐ろしい" fits here because it represents "terrible; dreadful; terrifying; frightening; fearful" in the context: "Witnessing the terrible power of natural disasters, humans had to hold a sense of awe toward the powerful power of the Earth.".