Readings: ツウ (Onyomi), いた.い, いた.む, いた.める, いた.ましい (Kunyomi)
Meaning: Pain, ache, sore, Itai (ouch!)
The radical 疒 (やまいだれ, sickness) on the left indicates illness or disease. The right component 甬 (よう, yō) is a phonetic element that also suggests “to rush forth” or “flow swiftly,” hinting at a sudden or throbbing sensation associated with pain.
View JLPT N3 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 痛 consists of 12 strokes. It begins with the “sickness” radical 疒 on the left. The first three strokes form the top part of the radical, followed by the long horizontal stroke. The right side is composed of strokes for the phonetic component. Pay attention to the correct order of the vertical and horizontal strokes within each part.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 疒 |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 12 |
| JLPT Level | N3 |
| Grade | Jouyou |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- ツウ (tsuu)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- いた.い (itai)
- いた.む (itamu)
- いた.める (itameru)
- いた.ましい (itamashii)
Common Words Using 痛
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 頭痛 | ずつう | headache |
| 腹痛 | ふくつう | stomachache |
| 腰痛 | ようつう | lower back pain |
| 激痛 | げきつう | severe pain |
| 苦痛 | くつう | pain, agony, suffering |
| 心痛 | しんつう | heartache, grief |
| 痛感 | つうかん | feeling keenly, realizing acutely |
| 陣痛 | じんつう | labor pains |
| 痛覚 | つうかく | sense of pain |
| 鈍痛 | どんつう | dull pain |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 痛い | いたい | painful, sore |
| 痛む | いたむ | to hurt, to ache (intransitive) |
| 痛める | いためる | to hurt, to injure (transitive) |
| 痛ましい | いたましい | pitiful, heartbreaking |
| 痛手 | いたで | serious wound, heavy blow |
| 痛がる | いたがる | to complain of pain |
| 痛い目を見る | いたいめをみる | to have a bitter/hard experience |
| 歯が痛い | はがいたい | toothache |
| 胸が痛む | むねがいたむ | to feel a pang in one’s heart, to feel heartache |
| 目が痛い | めがいたい | eyes hurt |
Example Sentences
Japanese: 頭が痛いです。
Kana: あたまがいたいです。
Romaji: Atama ga itai desu.
English: My head hurts.
Japanese: お腹が痛い。
Kana: おなかがいたい。
Romaji: Onaka ga itai.
English: My stomach hurts.
Japanese: 足が痛くて歩けない。
Kana: あしがいたくてあるけない。
Romaji: Ashi ga itakute arukenai.
English: My leg hurts so much I can’t walk.
Japanese: 怪我で腕を痛めた。
Kana: けがでうでをいためた。
Romaji: Kega de ude o itameta.
English: I injured my arm in an accident.
Japanese: 彼の話はとても痛ましかった。
Kana: かれのはなしはとてもいたましかった。
Romaji: Kare no hanashi wa totemo itamashikatta.
English: His story was very heartbreaking.
Japanese: 古い傷が再び痛み出した。
Kana: ふるいキズがふたたびいたみだした。
Romaji: Furui kizu ga futatabi itami dashita.
English: My old wound started hurting again.
Japanese: 彼は腰痛持ちだ。
Kana: かれはようつうもちだ。
Romaji: Kare wa yōtsū mochi da.
English: He suffers from lower back pain.
Japanese: この靴は足が痛くなる。
Kana: このくつはあしがいたくなる。
Romaji: Kono kutsu wa ashi ga itaku naru.
English: These shoes make my feet hurt.
Japanese: 虫歯がひどく痛む。
Kana: むしばがひどくいたむ。
Romaji: Mushiba ga hidoku itamu.
English: My cavity hurts terribly.
Japanese: 痛いニュースを聞いた。
Kana: いたいニュースをきいた。
Romaji: Itai nyūsu o kiita.
English: I heard some painful (bad) news.
Related Grammar & kanji list
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