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ガッカリ

B1 adverb #3,500 most common 3 min read

ガッカリ

gakkari Top 3,500

When you feel sad because something you hoped for didn't happen, that's 「がっかり」 (gakkari). It's a word that sounds like the feeling of disappointment itself.

You can use it when a plan falls through or when a result isn't what you expected.

For example, if it rains on your picnic day, you might feel 「がっかり」. Or if you studied hard for a test but didn't do well, that's also a 「がっかり」 feeling.

When you feel sad or let down because something didn't go as you hoped, you can use がっかり. It's often used when you had expectations, and those expectations were not met. For example, if you were really looking forward to a trip and it gets canceled, you would feel がっかり. Or if you studied hard for a test but still didn't do well, you might feel がっかり. It expresses a feeling of disappointment or dejection.

When you're learning Japanese at a B1 level, you're moving beyond basic phrases and starting to express more nuanced feelings. ガッカリ (gakkari) is a fantastic word to add to your vocabulary because it directly conveys a feeling of disappointment.

It's often used when something didn't meet your expectations or when a situation turned out worse than you hoped. You'll hear it frequently in everyday conversations, making it very practical for expressing your feelings naturally. Understanding words like ガッカリ helps you connect more deeply with native speakers and their emotional expressions.

When you're studying Japanese, you'll find a lot of onomatopoeia, and ガッカリ (gakkari) is a very useful one to know. It's often used to express disappointment or feeling let down. Think of it like the sound of a sigh or a slump when something doesn't go as planned.

You can use it to describe your own feelings or someone else's. For example, if a plan falls through, you might say, "ガッカリした" (gakkari shita), meaning "I was disappointed." It's a versatile word that perfectly captures that feeling of dejection.

When you're really let down or disappointed, that's when you use 「がっかり」. It's an onomatopoeia, meaning it's a word that sounds like what it means – in this case, the sound of a sigh or a feeling of deflation.

You can use it to describe your own feelings or someone else's. For example, if you studied hard for a test but didn't pass, you might say, 「がっかりした」 (I was disappointed).

It can also be used to describe something that causes disappointment, like 「がっかりする知らせ」 (disappointing news).

So, if something doesn't meet your expectations and leaves you feeling a bit down, 「がっかり」 is the word you're looking for!

Practice it Examples

§ Understanding ガッカリ (Gakkari)

Let's talk about a really common and useful Japanese word: ガッカリ (gakkari). You'll hear this a lot in daily conversations, anime, dramas, and even read it in manga. It's one of those onomatopoeic words, meaning it's a sound that represents a feeling or state. For ガッカリ, it represents the feeling of disappointment. It's often translated as 'disappointed' or 'let down'.

Think of it like this: You've been looking forward to something, you had high hopes, and then suddenly, it doesn't meet your expectations. That feeling of deflation, that 'ugh' moment – that's ガッカリ. It's a strong feeling, but not necessarily tragic. It's more about a personal sense of being let down.

§ When to use ガッカリ (Gakkari)

You use ガッカリ when something doesn't go the way you hoped, or when someone doesn't live up to your expectations. It can be about small things or more significant ones, but generally, it expresses a personal feeling of disappointment. It's rarely used for major, life-altering tragedies.

Common scenarios

When a plan falls through: You planned a fun outing, but it gets canceled due to rain. ガッカリ!
When an outcome isn't what you expected: You studied hard for a test but didn't get the grade you wanted. ガッカリ!
When someone disappoints you: A friend breaks a promise. ガッカリ!
When a product or service is bad: You bought something new, and it immediately broke. ガッカリ!

The nuance of ガッカリ is important. It implies a sense of sadness or dejection due to unmet expectations. It’s less about anger or frustration, and more about a feeling of being let down.

テストの結果が悪くて、ガッカリした。

Translation hint: I was disappointed with my test results.

Here, the speaker felt let down because their test results were bad. They probably expected or hoped for better. It’s a very common usage.

彼女が来なくて、ガッカリした。

Translation hint: I was disappointed that she didn't come.

In this example, the expectation was for 'her' to come, and when she didn't, the speaker felt disappointed. It's a simple, direct expression of that feeling.

You can also use it to describe something that causes disappointment. For instance, you might say: 'それはガッカリだね' (Sore wa gakkari da ne), meaning 'That's disappointing, isn't it?' or 'What a letdown!'. This is a casual way to express empathy or comment on a disappointing situation. It's a versatile word that expresses a very human emotion.

Fun Fact

Many Japanese onomatopoeia can function as adverbs with する (suru) or as adjectives with と (to).

Pronunciation Guide

UK /ˈɡæk.kɑ.ri/

US /ˈɡɑk.kɑ.ri/

short

Common Errors

pronouncing the double 'k' as a single 'k'

Examples by Level

がっかりした。

I was disappointed.

がっかりしました。

I was disappointed. (polite)

がっかりしないで。

Don't be disappointed.

テストにがっかり。

Disappointed with the test.

がっかりするね。

That's disappointing, isn't it?

がっかりした顔。

Disappointed face.

結果にがっかり。

Disappointed with the result.

がっかりしたくない。

I don't want to be disappointed.

試験に落ちてガッカリした。

I was disappointed because I failed the exam.

期待していた結果が出なくてガッカリだよ。

I'm disappointed because I didn't get the results I expected.

楽しみにしていた旅行が中止になってガッカリだ。

I'm disappointed that the trip I was looking forward to was canceled.

プレゼントが思ったものと違って少しガッカリした。

I was a little disappointed that the present wasn't what I thought it would be.

彼女がパーティーに来なくて、みんなガッカリしていた。

Everyone was disappointed that she didn't come to the party.

彼の成績が下がって、親はガッカリしている。

His parents are disappointed that his grades have dropped.

映画の終わり方が予想外で、ちょっとガッカリした。

The ending of the movie was unexpected, so I was a bit disappointed.

せっかく行ったのに、お店が閉まっていてガッカリした。

I went all the way there, but the store was closed, which was disappointing.

試験に落ちてガッカリした。

I was disappointed because I failed the exam.

楽しみにしていた旅行が中止になって、とてもガッカリしている。

I'm very disappointed that the trip I was looking forward to was cancelled.

彼の成績が思ったより悪くて、少しガッカリしたよ。

His grades were worse than I expected, so I was a little disappointed.

期待していた映画があまり面白くなくて、ガッカリした。

The movie I was looking forward to wasn't very interesting, and I was disappointed.

彼女の態度にガッカリして、もう会いたくないと思った。

I was disappointed by her attitude and decided I didn't want to see her anymore.

プレゼントが期待外れで、正直ガッカリした。

The gift was a letdown, and honestly, I was disappointed.

彼が約束を破ったので、ガッカリした気持ちになった。

He broke his promise, so I felt disappointed.

いつも満席のレストランに行ってみたら、まさかの閉店でガッカリした。

I went to a restaurant that's always full, only to find it closed. I was disappointed.

Word Origin

Japanese onomatopoeia

Original meaning: Sound or feeling of disappointment/dejection

Japonic

Cultural Context

When someone says 「がっかりした」 (gakkari shita), they are expressing that they are disappointed or let down. It's often used for situations that didn't meet expectations, like a canceled event or a failed test. It's a common and direct way to convey disappointment in daily conversation.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

When a planned event is canceled or doesn't go as expected.

イベントが中止になってガッカリした。
楽しみにしていたのに、雨でガッカリだよ。
期待外れでガッカリしました。

When someone fails an exam or doesn't achieve a goal they worked hard for.

試験に落ちてガッカリしている。
頑張ったのに、結果が出なくてガッカリだ。
優勝できなかったのはガッカリですが、次頑張ります。

When a gift or purchase isn't what was hoped for.

プレゼントを開けたら、期待と違ってガッカリした。
通販で買った服が写真と違ってガッカリだった。
思っていたより小さくてガッカリだね。

When someone lets you down or doesn't keep a promise.

友達が約束を破ってガッカリした。
裏切られた気分でガッカリしています。
こんなことをするなんて、本当にガッカリだよ。

When a favorite place or food item is no longer available or changed for the worse.

好きだったお店が閉店してガッカリだ。
味が変わってしまって、ちょっとガッカリした。
もう食べられないと思うとガッカリだね。

Conversation Starters

"最近、何かガッカリしたことはありますか？"

"友達や家族がガッカリしている時、どうやって励ましますか？"

"子どもの頃、どんなことでガッカリしましたか？"

"旅行先でガッカリした経験はありますか？"

"ガッカリした気分から立ち直るために、何をしますか？"

Journal Prompts

今日、あなたがガッカリした出来事を具体的に書いてください。その時の感情や考えも詳しく記述してください。

過去に最もガッカリした経験は何ですか？その経験から何を学びましたか？

誰かをガッカリさせてしまった経験について書いてください。その時、どのように感じ、どのように対応しましたか？

もしタイムマシンがあったら、ガッカリした過去の出来事をどのように変えたいですか？その変化が現在にどう影響するか考えてください。

未来にガッカリしないために、今日からできることは何だと思いますか？具体的な計画を立ててみましょう。

Test Yourself 24 questions

sentence order A2

Tap words below to build the sentence

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 試験に落ちてがっかりした

The correct order is '試験に (shiken ni - for the exam) 落ちて (ochite - having failed) がっかりした (gakkari shita - was disappointed)'.

sentence order A2

Tap words below to build the sentence

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 雨で遠足が中止になってがっかりした

The correct order is '雨で (ame de - due to rain) 遠足が (ensoku ga - the excursion) 中止になって (chūshi ni natte - was cancelled and) がっかりした (gakkari shita - I was disappointed)'.

sentence order A2

Tap words below to build the sentence

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: プレゼントが期待と違って少しがっかりした

The correct order is 'プレゼントが (purezento ga - the present) 期待と (kitai to - compared to my expectations) 違って (chigatte - was different) 少し (sukoshi - a little) がっかりした (gakkari shita - I was disappointed)'.

listening B2

The speaker is expressing a feeling after failing an exam.

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 試験に落ちてがっかりした。