How do Japanese people express loneliness? We feel lonely when we miss somebody and want to meet them. There are various kind of situations. Here, I will focus on the situation in which boyfriend and girlfriend live far apart. It is painful that they can’t see each other when they want to.
Shoulder droop
If people feel lonely, of course, they don’t look happy. Their shoulders droop.
Fingernail biting
When people think about their boyfriend or girlfriend, they are lost in thought and the time goes by unnoticed. At that time, they bite their fingernails.
Hang one’s head down
If their shoulders droop, also, their heads are hung down. Even if they are in town or somewhere, they walk with downcast eyes.
|
 “Shun”
If people are depressed because of loneliness, we say they are ‘shun’. It means they are depressed. We don’t use shun for ourselves. We use it just for expressing other people’s condition. I think it isn’t standard language, but a kind of Osaka dialect.
 “Ha” or “Ah”
When people have loneliness, their voice sounds are ‘Ha’ or ‘Ah’. ’Ha’ is like a sigh. They say it with a sigh. On the other hand, ‘Ah’ is like a little shout. We use it before sentences.
For example, ‘ Ah~~~~~~, I miss him/her.’ Like that.
|
