惜しい

• Reading: おしい
• Romaji: oshii
• Kanji breakdown: 惜 (oshi/seki) — regret, to begrudge a loss
• Pronunciation: /o.ɕiː/

Meaning

Regrettable; a near miss; too good to waste. Used when something falls just short of success or when something valuable is lost.

An i-adjective with two related senses: (1) tantalisingly close to a goal but just missed — あと一点で満点だったとは惜しい (so close to a perfect score — what a shame); (2) precious enough that losing or wasting it is a shame — 才能が惜しい (it's a shame to waste such talent). Often exclaimed as 惜しい！ in competitive settings when someone nearly succeeds. Tone is empathetic, not dismissive.

Examples

1. あと一点で満点だったとは、本当に惜しい結果だった。 To have missed a perfect score by just one point — what a truly regrettable result.
2. 彼の才能がこの環境では活かされていないのは惜しいと、誰もが口にした。 Everyone remarked what a shame it was that his talent was not being put to use in this environment.
3. もう少しで優勝できたのに、惜しいところで逆転を許してしまった。 We were so close to winning, yet we conceded a comeback at the last moment.

Usage Guide

Context: competition, evaluation, exclamation, daily life

Tone: sympathetic

Origin & History

From Old Japanese 惜し (oshi), meaning to feel reluctant to part with something, or to feel that a loss or failure is too bad. The kanji 惜 combines 忄(heart) and 昔 (past), suggesting lamenting what once was.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical to Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal