痛み

• Reading: いたみ
• Romaji: itami
• Kanji breakdown: 痛 (ita) — pain, ache; み (mi) — nominalizing suffix
• Pronunciation: /i.ta.mi/

Meaning

Pain; ache; soreness. A physical or emotional sensation of discomfort.

The noun form of the verb 痛む (to hurt). Used to describe various types of pain — 頭の痛み (headache), 胸の痛み (chest pain). Can also express emotional distress. At medical visits, describing your 痛み precisely is important: 鋭い痛み (sharp pain), 鈍い痛み (dull pain).

Examples

1. 足の痛みがなかなか取れません。 The pain in my foot just won't go away.
2. 薬を飲んだら痛みが和らぎました。 After taking the medicine, the pain eased up.
3. この痛みはいつから始まりましたか。 When did this pain start?

Usage Guide

Context: medical, daily life, hospital

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Derived from the verb 痛む (to be in pain). The kanji 痛 combines 疒 (illness radical) and 甬 (phonetic component), representing the experience of illness-related suffering.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal