When you feel 恋しい (koishii), it means you deeply miss someone or something that is absent. It's a feeling of longing, often accompanied by a sense of sadness or nostalgia. You might say it about a person who is far away, a past experience, or even a place you haven't visited in a long time. It conveys a strong emotional attachment and a desire for that person, thing, or experience to be present again.
Alright, let's talk about 恋しい (koishii). This isn't just about missing someone; it's a deeper feeling of longing or yearning. It's often used when you deeply miss a person, a place, or even a past time. Understanding how to use it correctly will make your Japanese sound much more natural.
- Japanese Word
- 恋しい (koishii)
- Definition
- Longed for; missed; yearned for.
§ Basic Sentence Structure
Since 恋しい is an い-adjective, it behaves like other い-adjectives. This means you can directly attach it to a noun, or use it with です (desu) at the end of a sentence.
家族が恋しいです。
Hint: I miss my family.
故郷が恋しい。
Hint: I yearn for my hometown.
§ Expressing Past Longing
To express that you *missed* something in the past, you simply change the い-adjective to its past tense form: 恋しかった (koishikatta).
昔の友達がとても恋しかった。
Hint: I really missed my old friends.
日本にいた時、家族が恋しかった。
Hint: When I was in Japan, I missed my family.
§ Using 恋しい with Actions or States
While 恋しい primarily describes a noun, you can also express longing for an action or a state. To do this, you'll need to nominalize the verb or adjective using の (no) or こと (koto), and then use the particle が (ga) followed by 恋しい.
昔のように自由に旅行できるのが恋しい。
Hint: I long for being able to travel freely like before.
日本の夏祭りの雰囲気が恋しいです。
Hint: I miss the atmosphere of Japanese summer festivals.
§ Common Phrases and Nuances
- ～が恋しい: This is the most straightforward way to say you miss or yearn for something/someone.
- 恋しくなる (koishiku naru): This means "to start missing" or "to become nostalgic for." It indicates a change in state, where the feeling of longing begins.
海外にいると、日本の食べ物が恋しくなります。
Hint: When you're overseas, you start to miss Japanese food.
§ Summary of Usage
When you want to express a heartfelt longing or yearning in Japanese, 恋しい is your go-to adjective. Remember these key points:
- Use が (ga) to mark the thing or person you miss.
- It's an い-adjective, so it conjugates like other い-adjectives (e.g., 恋しかった for past tense).
- It conveys a deeper, more emotional sense of missing than general absence.
Practice using it in your own sentences, and you'll find it adds a lot of depth to your expressions in Japanese.
Grammaire à connaître
Use 恋しい (koishii) to express longing or missing something or someone. It's an i-adjective, so it conjugates like other i-adjectives.
故郷が恋しいです。 (Kokyou ga koishii desu.) - I miss my hometown.
When directly stating what you miss, use the particle が (ga) before 恋しい (koishii).
昔の友達が恋しい。 (Mukashi no tomodachi ga koishii.) - I miss my old friends.
You can use 恋しい (koishii) to describe feelings of yearning for something that is absent or no longer present.
あの頃が恋しいね。 (Ano koro ga koishii ne.) - I yearn for those days, don't I?
To ask someone if they miss something, you can use the question form.
日本が恋しいですか？ (Nihon ga koishii desu ka?) - Do you miss Japan?
When modifying a noun, 恋しい (koishii) comes directly before the noun.
恋しい声が聞きたい。 (Koishii koe ga kikitai.) - I want to hear your voice (that I miss).
Exemples par niveau
故郷が恋しいです。
I miss my hometown.
昔の友達が恋しい。
I miss my old friends.
家族に恋しくなる時がある。
Sometimes I miss my family.
日本の夏が恋しいです。
I miss summer in Japan.
彼女の笑顔が恋しい。
I miss her smile.
あの頃が恋しい。
I long for those days.
母の手料理が恋しいです。
I miss my mother's home cooking.
会えない時間が恋しさを増す。
The time spent apart makes me miss you more.
Souvent confondu avec
While 恋しい can evoke nostalgic feelings, it's more about the active longing for something absent, whereas nostalgia (懐かしい) is often a fond remembrance of the past.
Loneliness (寂しい) is a general feeling of sadness due to lack of companionship or emptiness. 恋しい is a specific emotional yearning for someone or something.
会いたい is a direct expression of wanting to meet someone. 恋しい is the underlying emotional state of longing that might lead to wanting to meet them.
Facile à confondre
Both 恋しい and 懐かしい relate to missing something, but the nuance is different. Learners often mix these up.
懐かしい means nostalgic or fondly remembered, usually with a positive feeling about something that happened in the past. It's about remembering something good from a long time ago. 恋しい is about the strong emotional desire to be with or have something you're currently separated from.
昔のゲームが懐かしいね。 (I'm nostalgic for old video games, aren't I?)
Both can express a feeling of absence, leading to confusion.
寂しい means lonely or sad due to lack of companionship or a general sense of emptiness. 恋しい specifically implies a strong emotional longing for a particular person, place, or thing.
一人でいると寂しい。 (I feel lonely when I'm alone.)
This is often used when one misses someone, making it seem similar to 恋しい.
会いたい literally means 'I want to meet/see'. It's a direct expression of the desire to meet someone. 恋しい describes the deep emotional state of longing or yearning, which might *lead* to wanting to meet someone, but it's not the direct action of wanting to meet.
早く友達に会いたい。 (I want to meet my friends soon.)
If you miss something, you might also want it, which can cause confusion.
欲しい means 'I want' (desire to possess). 恋しい is about missing or yearning for something you love or have a strong emotional connection to, not just wanting to own it. You can want a new car (欲しい) but you wouldn't typically say you miss a new car (恋しい) unless it was taken from you after you formed an attachment to it.
新しい本が欲しい。 (I want a new book.)
Sometimes when you miss something, you might also envy someone who has it, creating a slight overlap in feeling.
羨ましい means 'enviable' or 'jealous'. It's about wishing you had what someone else has. 恋しい is about missing something that *you* had or were connected to, not wishing you had something someone else possesses.
君の才能が羨ましいよ。 (I'm envious of your talent.)
Comment l'utiliser
When you use 恋しい (koishii), you're expressing a deep, often sentimental longing for something or someone that is absent. It's an adjective, so it directly modifies a noun. For example, ふるさとが恋しい (furusato ga koishii) means 'I miss my hometown.' You can also use it with the particle が (ga) to mark the thing you miss. It carries a sense of warmth and affection, not just a simple absence. Think of it as 'my heart longs for' rather than just 'I want.'
A common mistake is confusing 恋しい (koishii) with 欲しい (hoshii). While both can express a desire, 欲しい means 'to want' in a more general, often materialistic sense (e.g., 'I want a new car'). 恋しい is specifically for emotional longing for something or someone you have a deep connection with, typically when that thing or person is not present. You wouldn't say '新しい車が恋しい' (atarashii kuruma ga koishii) unless you had a really deep, emotional bond with a car you no longer had. Another mistake is using it for things you've never experienced. 恋しい implies a past connection or experience that you're now missing.
Teste-toi 48 questions
ふるさとがとても___。
ふるさと (furusato) means 'hometown'. This sentence expresses a feeling of missing one's hometown. 楽しい (tanoshii) means 'fun', 嬉しい (ureshii) means 'happy', and 寂しい (sabishii) means 'lonely', but '恋しい' best fits the context of yearning for a place.
昔の友達が___。
昔の友達 (mukashi no tomodachi) means 'old friends'. The sentence indicates a feeling of missing them. います (imasu) means 'exist', 好きです (suki desu) means 'like', and 元気です (genki desu) means 'fine/healthy'.
日本のラーメンが___。
日本のラーメン (Nihon no ramen) means 'Japanese ramen'. The sentence expresses a longing for Japanese ramen. 食べたい (tabetai) means 'want to eat', 見たい (mitai) means 'want to see', and 飲みたい (nomitai) means 'want to drink'. While '食べたい' is plausible, '恋しい' conveys a stronger sense of missing or yearning.
もうすぐ会えるけど、まだ少し___。
もうすぐ会える (mou sugu aeru) means 'will meet soon'. This sentence indicates that even though a meeting is near, there's still a feeling of longing. 楽しい (tanoshii) means 'fun', 早い (hayai) means 'early', and 遠い (tooi) means 'far'.
お母さんの手料理が___。
お母さんの手料理 (okaasan no teryouri) means 'Mom's home cooking'. The sentence expresses a longing for Mom's cooking. 美味しい (oishii) means 'delicious', 辛い (karai) means 'spicy', and 甘い (amai) means 'sweet'. While it might be delicious, '恋しい' directly conveys missing it.
夏の休みに、あの海辺が___。
あの海辺 (ano umibe) means 'that beach'. The sentence describes missing a specific beach during summer vacation. 広い (hiroi) means 'wide', 暑い (atsui) means 'hot', and 近い (chikai) means 'close'.
This sentence means 'I miss my hometown.' The particle が (ga) marks 故郷 (kokyou - hometown) as the object of 恋しい (koishii - missed/longed for).
This sentence translates to 'I miss my family.' 家族 (kazoku - family) is the object of 恋しい (koishii - missed/longed for).
This means 'I miss my old friends.' 昔の (mukashi no - old/former) modifies 友達 (tomodachi - friends).
ふるさとがとても＿＿＿。
The sentence means 'I miss my hometown very much.' '恋しい' (koishii) means longed for or missed. 'さびしい' (sabishii) means lonely, 'うれしい' (ureshii) means happy, and 'かなしい' (kanashii) means sad.
昔の友達に＿＿＿です。
The sentence means 'I miss my old friends.' '恋しい' (koishii) expresses longing for someone or something. 'あいたい' (aitai) means want to meet, 'すき' (suki) means like, and 'いやだ' (iya da) means dislike.
おばあちゃんの料理が＿＿＿。
The sentence means 'I miss my grandmother's cooking.' '恋しい' (koishii) is used to express missing something fondly. 'おいしい' (oishii) means delicious, 'まずい' (mazui) means bad tasting, and 'つらい' (tsurai) means painful.
日本の夏が＿＿＿。
The sentence means 'I miss summer in Japan.' '恋しい' (koishii) indicates a feeling of longing for something. 'あつい' (atsui) means hot, 'さむい' (samui) means cold, and 'きらい' (kirai) means dislike.
この場所を＿＿＿になるでしょう。
The sentence means 'I will miss this place.' '恋しくなる' (koishiku naru) is a common phrase meaning to start missing something. 'わすれる' (wasureru) means to forget, 'おぼえる' (oboeru) means to remember, and 'すきになる' (suki ni naru) means to come to like.
家族の声が＿＿＿。
The sentence means 'I miss my family's voices.' '恋しい' (koishii) expresses missing the sound or presence of something. 'うるさい' (urusai) means noisy, 'きこえる' (kikoeru) means can hear, and 'いやだ' (iya da) means dislike.
This means 'I miss Japan.' The particle が marks the thing that is missed.
This means 'I miss my hometown very much.' とても adds emphasis.
This means 'I miss my old friends.' 昔の (mukashi no) means 'old' or 'former'.
This sentence expresses a strong feeling of missing someone. 'あなたに' (you), 'とても' (very much), '会いたいと' (want to meet), '恋しいです' (miss you). The order reflects a natural flow in Japanese.
This sentence means 'There are times when I feel nostalgic for my hometown.' '故郷が' (hometown), '恋しいと' (miss), '感じる' (feel), '時があります' (there are times).
This sentence means 'I miss that summer day.' 'あの' (that), '夏の' (summer's), '日が' (day), '恋しいです' (miss).
Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) about a person or place you miss dearly, using 恋しい (koishii) at least once. Explain why you miss them/it.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
私は故郷の家族が恋しいです。特に、母の手料理が恋しいです。毎日、彼らと過ごした時間を思い出します。早く日本に帰って、家族に会いたいです。
Imagine you are writing a letter to a friend you haven't seen in a long time. Use 恋しい to express how much you miss them. Include at least two specific memories you share.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
〇〇へ、お元気ですか？最近、昔一緒に遊んだ公園が恋しいです。あの頃に戻れたらなあと思います。またいつか、一緒にお酒を飲んで、色々な話をしたいですね。本当にあなたに会いたいです。
Describe a past experience or a time in your life that you look back on fondly and miss. Use 恋しい to convey your feelings. (3-4 sentences)
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
学生時代の夏休みが恋しいです。あの頃は何も心配なく、毎日友達と遊んでいました。特に、みんなで海に行ったことが一番の思い出です。あの自由な日々に戻りたいと、時々思います。
田中さんは何が一番恋しいと思っていますか？
Read this passage:
遠い故郷を離れて都会で働いている田中さんは、最近、ふるさとの味が恋しくてたまらない。特に、おばあちゃんが作ってくれた味噌汁が忘れられない。休日にスーパーで味噌汁の材料を探すが、なかなかあの味にはならない。
田中さんは何が一番恋しいと思っていますか？
文章に「特に、おばあちゃんが作ってくれた味噌汁が忘れられない」とあります。
文章に「特に、おばあちゃんが作ってくれた味噌汁が忘れられない」とあります。
エミリーさんが恋しいと感じているのは何ですか？
Read this passage:
海外留学中のエミリーさんは、日本の桜が恋しいとSNSに投稿した。彼女は「春になると、いつも日本の桜を思い出します。あの美しいピンク色が目に浮かびます。」と書いている。留学先の国にも花はあるが、やはり桜の美しさは特別だと感じているようだ。
エミリーさんが恋しいと感じているのは何ですか？
文章に「日本の桜が恋しいとSNSに投稿した」と明確に書かれています。
文章に「日本の桜が恋しいとSNSに投稿した」と明確に書かれています。
健太さんが恋しいと感じているのは、昔の仲間たちとのどんなことですか？
Read this passage:
昔の仲間たちとの再会を願っている健太さんは、彼らとの熱い議論が恋しいと話す。仕事で忙しい日々を送る中で、学生時代の情熱を忘れていたことに気づいた。いつか、またみんなで集まって、夢を語り合いたいと願っている。
健太さんが恋しいと感じているのは、昔の仲間たちとのどんなことですか？
文章に「彼らとの熱い議論が恋しいと話す」とあります。
文章に「彼らとの熱い議論が恋しいと話す」とあります。
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence: 故郷が___。
「恋しい」は、離れている場所や人に強く会いたい、戻りたいという気持ちを表します。
Choose the sentence that best uses 「恋しい」.
「恋しい」は、人や場所、過去の出来事など、感情を伴って思い慕う対象に使われます。
Select the antonym for 「恋しい」 in the context of missing someone.
「恋しい」は「会いたい」という強い気持ちを表すため、その反対は「会いたくない」となります。
「恋しい」 can be used to describe missing a past event.
はい、例えば「学生時代が恋しい」のように、過去の出来事を懐かしむ感情を表すことができます。
「恋しい」 is typically used for things you don't like or want to avoid.
いいえ、「恋しい」は、好きで、もう一度経験したい、会いたいというポジティブな感情に対して使われます。
If you say 「日本の冬が恋しい」, it means you miss the winter in Japan.
はい、その通りです。「恋しい」は、特定の人や場所、季節などを懐かしく思う感情を表します。
The speaker misses their hometown very much.
The speaker sometimes misses an old lover at night.
The speaker yearns for the freedom of those days.
Read this aloud:
日本の文化が恋しいです。
Focus: こいしい (koishii)
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
会いたくて恋しい。
Focus: こいしい (koishii)
Tu as dit :
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Read this aloud:
幼い頃の夏休みが恋しい。
Focus: こいしい (koishii)
Tu as dit :
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/ 48 correct
Perfect score!
Exemple
故郷が恋しい。
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