うつ

• 読み: うつ
• ローマ字: utsu
• 漢字の分解: From 鬱 (depression, gloom) — one of the most complex kanji, almost always written in hiragana as うつ due to difficulty of the character
• 発音: /u.tsu/

意味

Depression — feeling deeply down, low, or unable to function, used both clinically and casually.

うつ (written in hiragana, from the kanji 鬱) is widely used in everyday Japanese to discuss depression. It ranges from casual usage (「ちょっとうつっぽい」= feeling a bit depressed) to serious clinical contexts (うつ病 = depressive disorder). Japan has made significant progress in destigmatizing depression discussion, partly due to high-profile figures disclosing their experiences. However, casual overuse of うつ for minor sadness is sometimes criticized for trivializing a serious condition.

例文

1. うつになりかけてるかも、最近全然眠れないし。
2. 友達がうつだって打ち明けてきたんだけど、どう接したらいいかわからない。
3. 軽いうつでも放置すると悪化するから、早めに病院行った方がいいよ。

使い方ガイド

場面: friends, social media, healthcare, daily conversation

トーン: serious, empathetic

正しい言い方

• うつかもって思ったら、まず病院に相談してみて。 (If you think you might be depressed, try consulting a doctor first.)
• うつは誰でもなりうる病気だから、恥ずかしいことじゃないよ。 (Depression is an illness anyone can get — there's nothing to be ashamed of.)

避ける言い方

• 「うつは気合いで治る」は絶対に言わない (Never say 'you can cure depression with willpower' — this is a harmful misconception that prevents people from seeking help)

よくある間違い

• Using うつ too casually for minor sadness (「月曜日うつだわ」) when around someone with clinical depression — be mindful of trivializing the term

起源と歴史

Simplified hiragana writing of 鬱 (utsu), an extremely complex kanji meaning 'gloomy/depressed.' The hiragana form became standard because the kanji is notoriously difficult to write (29 strokes). Clinical term うつ病 has been in medical use for decades.

文化的背景

時代: Medical use for decades, casual use normalized from 2000s

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. Japan's mental health awareness has grown significantly, with government campaigns to reduce stigma around うつ病.