How could you describe the Japanese word "setunai" in English?
December 29, 2006 9:08 AM Subscribe
How could you describe the Japanese concept of "setunai" in English?
A Japanese friend has implored me to learn about this concept. It seems to be a term of emotion. To the best of her knowledge, there is no direct single-word translation, but the concept itself is worth learning about.
Not sure about the spelling or the romanization. Apparently "setunai" is like a kind of sadness but not quite as strong or as general as the english word, "sad".
Thanks!
A Japanese friend has implored me to learn about this concept. It seems to be a term of emotion. To the best of her knowledge, there is no direct single-word translation, but the concept itself is worth learning about.
Not sure about the spelling or the romanization. Apparently "setunai" is like a kind of sadness but not quite as strong or as general as the english word, "sad".
Thanks!
Adam Greenfield mentions the word in this post on v-2.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 9:43 AM on December 29, 2006
posted by monju_bosatsu at 9:43 AM on December 29, 2006
It's not an easy word to translate, that's for sure. My gloss would be a sad feeling that is so strong you feel as if you might die. This could be a extreme sense of longing, melancholy, despair, or the like to the degree that you feel your heart is being constricted. (The definition in Kōjien literally is, "圧迫されて苦しい。胸が締めつけられる思いでつらい。")
I use it mostly concering a feeling of lost love or sadness tied with love. This can be romantic love (恋) or familial love (愛).
posted by armage at 10:30 AM on December 29, 2006
I use it mostly concering a feeling of lost love or sadness tied with love. This can be romantic love (恋) or familial love (愛).
posted by armage at 10:30 AM on December 29, 2006
Hmm, I think this word describes me. I am definately setunai. setunai desu nee
posted by 0217174 at 10:52 AM on December 29, 2006
posted by 0217174 at 10:52 AM on December 29, 2006
I don't think setsunai is necessarily such a strong emotion that makes you feel you want to die. It can range anywhere from devastating, crushing heartbreak that makes you bawl your eyes out and/or jump off a bridge, to a sort of hurts-so-good feeling that you get when you are in love.
It is definitely about something that gives your heart a squeeze though, whether it's those feelings of pain and loneliness you get when you are in love, feelings of loss, nostalgia and melancholy, or that feeling you get when you see a beautiful landscape or painting etc... and there is no equivalent word for it in English.
posted by derMax at 11:53 AM on December 29, 2006
It is definitely about something that gives your heart a squeeze though, whether it's those feelings of pain and loneliness you get when you are in love, feelings of loss, nostalgia and melancholy, or that feeling you get when you see a beautiful landscape or painting etc... and there is no equivalent word for it in English.
posted by derMax at 11:53 AM on December 29, 2006
Look, I hate it when people just throw wild guesses here in AskMe, but from what others have replied it sounds similar to saudade in Portuguese.
In case it is, they way I'd explain it is: cook a nice dinner for yourself tonight. Eat it alone and have some wine with it. While you are eating, play this record. The feeling you are bound to get from it will most probably explain setunai for you.
posted by micayetoca at 2:03 PM on December 29, 2006
In case it is, they way I'd explain it is: cook a nice dinner for yourself tonight. Eat it alone and have some wine with it. While you are eating, play this record. The feeling you are bound to get from it will most probably explain setunai for you.
posted by micayetoca at 2:03 PM on December 29, 2006
I agree with derMax. When I have to translate it, I use a different word depending on the context.
posted by misozaki at 5:22 PM on December 29, 2006
posted by misozaki at 5:22 PM on December 29, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
That's all I got.
posted by chillmost at 9:18 AM on December 29, 2006