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B1 noun 7 min read

倦怠感

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips 倦怠感 in 30 Seconds

Explanation 倦怠感 in your Level:

At the A1 level, think of '倦怠感' (kentaikan) as a very strong version of 'tired.' You probably know 'tsukaremashita' (I'm tired). 'Kentaikan' is a special word used when your whole body feels heavy and you have no energy at all. You might see this word in a doctor's office or on a medicine bottle. It's a noun, so you use it with 'arimasu' (there is). For example: 'Kentaikan ga arimasu' means 'I have a feeling of being very, very tired.' It is not a word you use every day with friends, but it is good to know if you get sick in Japan. Think of it as 'Body Power: 0%.'

At the A2 level, you can begin to distinguish between different types of 'tired.' While 'tsukareta' is for when you walk a lot, 'kentaikan' is for when you feel 'sluggish' or 'heavy' because of a cold or the heat. It is a formal word (kango). You will hear it on the news when they talk about health. A common phrase is 'zenshin no kentaikan' (whole-body weariness). If you have a fever, you usually have 'kentaikan' too. It’s a useful word to use when explaining your health to a teacher or a boss because it sounds more serious and polite than just saying you are tired.

At the B1 level, you should understand '倦怠感' as 'malaise.' This is a clinical and formal term. It doesn't just mean being tired from exercise; it describes a systemic lack of energy often associated with illness, stress, or psychological states like ennui. You should be able to use it with verbs like 'kanjiru' (to feel) or 'tomonau' (to accompany). For example, 'Fukuryō ni tomonai, kentaikan ga deru koto ga arimasu' (Malaise may occur along with taking the medication). It is also used to describe the 'tedium' of repetitive life. Understanding this word helps you navigate medical situations and formal health reports in Japanese.

At the B2 level, you recognize '倦怠感' as a key term in medical and psychological discourse. You understand its nuances compared to 'hirōkan' (fatigue) and 'darusa' (sluggishness). 'Kentaikan' implies a persistent state that might not have an immediate external cause, whereas 'hirōkan' is usually the logical result of effort. You can use it in professional contexts, such as discussing workplace burnout or the side effects of clinical treatments. You also begin to see its use in literature to describe a character's internal state of listlessness or social alienation, moving beyond just a physical symptom into a psychological condition.

At the C1 level, you can appreciate the etymological roots of '倦怠感' and its role in sophisticated Japanese prose. The kanji '倦' (weariness) and '怠' (negligence/idleness) combine to create a sense of 'functional stagnation.' You can use this word to discuss complex social issues like 'social malaise' or the 'lethargy of the youth.' You are comfortable using it in academic or medical writing, and you understand its collocations with words like 'shushoku' (primary symptom) or 'futei shūsō' (unidentified complaints). You can also distinguish it from 'kyodatsukan' (a sense of being drained), which follows a specific event, versus 'kentaikan,' which is more of a prevailing state.

At the C2 level, '倦怠感' is a tool for precise expression in the most formal and nuanced contexts. You understand its philosophical implications, similar to 'ennui' in French literature, representing a profound weariness with existence itself. You can analyze medical texts that differentiate between 'shinteki kentaikan' (physical malaise) and 'seishinteki kentaikan' (mental malaise) with ease. You are aware of how the term is used in health policy and labor law regarding 'karōshi' (death from overwork) risk assessments. Your usage is indistinguishable from a native speaker, knowing exactly when the clinical weight of 'kentaikan' is required over the more common 'hirōkan' to convey a specific pathological or existential state.

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips

倦怠感 in 30 Seconds

倦怠感 (Kentaikan) means malaise or a heavy sense of fatigue.
It is a formal noun, often used in medical or professional contexts.
It differs from 'tsukare' by being more systemic and persistent.
Commonly paired with verbs like 'aru' (have) and 'kanjiru' (feel).

The Japanese word 倦怠感 (kentaikan) is a sophisticated term that translates most accurately to 'malaise' or 'a general sense of fatigue and listlessness.' It is composed of three kanji characters: 倦 (ken), meaning 'weary' or 'tired'; 怠 (tai), meaning 'neglectful' or 'lazy'; and 感 (kan), meaning 'feeling' or 'sensation.' Together, they describe a state where the body or mind feels heavy, unmotivated, and drained of energy. Unlike the common word for 'tired' (疲れた - tsukareta), which often refers to the immediate result of physical exertion, 倦怠感 suggests a deeper, more systemic condition that might not have an obvious or singular cause.

Medical Context: In clinical settings, doctors use this word to describe one of the primary symptoms of many illnesses, ranging from the common flu and COVID-19 to chronic conditions like anemia or depression. Patients use it to explain that they don't just feel 'sleepy,' but rather that their entire being feels weighed down.
Workplace and Mental Health: It is frequently used in the context of burnout (バーンアウト) or 'May Sickness' (五月病 - gogatsu-byō) in Japan. It captures that specific feeling of being unable to muster the energy to face daily tasks, even if one has slept sufficiently. It is a more formal and precise way to express a lack of vigor.

最近、原因不明の倦怠感が続いていて、仕事に集中できない。
(Lately, I've had a persistent sense of malaise of unknown origin, and I can't concentrate on my work.)

Understanding 倦怠感 requires recognizing its nuance as a 'state of being' rather than just a 'reaction.' If you run a marathon, you feel 疲労 (hirō - fatigue). If you have a low-grade fever and feel like you can't move your limbs, you feel 倦怠感. It is the heavy air that surrounds a person when their internal battery is failing to charge. In Japanese society, where hard work is a virtue, admitting to 倦怠感 is often a serious signal that one needs medical attention or a significant break, as it implies a level of exhaustion that cannot be fixed by a single night's sleep.

Culturally, the word also appears in literature and film to describe the 'ennui' of modern life. It reflects a psychological weariness with routine or the social climate. Thus, while it is a medical staple, its reach extends into the existential, describing a soul that is as tired as the body.

Using 倦怠感 correctly involves understanding its grammatical role as a noun. It is almost always paired with verbs like ある (aru - to have/exist), 感じる (kanjiru - to feel), or 伴う (tomonau - to accompany). Because it is a formal noun, it fits well into both written reports and polite conversation.

Structure: [Noun] + 倦怠感: You can specify the type of malaise. For example, '全身の倦怠感' (zenshin no kentaikan) means 'whole-body malaise.' '精神的な倦怠感' (seishinteki na kentaikan) means 'mental malaise or ennui.'

ワクチンの副反応で、強い倦怠感が出ることがあります。
(Side effects of the vaccine may include strong malaise.)

When describing a patient's condition, a nurse might write, '患者は強い倦怠感を訴えている' (The patient is complaining of strong malaise). The verb 'uttau' (to complain of/suffer from) is a standard collocation in medical reporting. In a more casual but still serious setting, you might say, 'なんだか倦怠感が抜けなくて...' (Somehow this feeling of malaise won't go away...), which suggests a lingering, stubborn exhaustion.

In creative writing, 倦怠感 is used to set a mood. A character might feel a sense of 'kentaikan' toward their repetitive office job. Here, it translates closer to 'tedium' or 'ennui.' For example, '日々のルーチンワークに倦怠感を覚える' (To feel a sense of tedium toward daily routine work). The verb 'oboeru' (to feel/experience) adds a slightly more literary flavor than 'kanjiru.'

夏の暑さのせいで、体全体にひどい倦怠感がある。
(Due to the summer heat, I have a terrible sense of malaise throughout my whole body.)

You are most likely to encounter 倦怠感 in four specific environments: medical facilities, news broadcasts, health-related articles, and formal workplace discussions about employee well-being. During the global pandemic, this word became a daily staple on Japanese news programs (like NHK) to describe the symptoms of the virus.

TV News and Media: When a new variant of a virus is discussed, the announcer will list symptoms: '発熱、咳、そして強い倦怠感' (Fever, cough, and strong malaise). It is the standard term used by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
The Doctor's Office (Naika): If you visit an internal medicine clinic (内科 - naika), the intake form will likely have a checkbox for 倦怠感. Doctors prefer this term because it is objective and clinical, whereas 'darui' is subjective and colloquial.

「倦怠感」は、新型コロナウイルスの主な症状の一つとして挙げられています。
('Malaise' is listed as one of the primary symptoms of the novel coronavirus.)

In the corporate world, HR departments might conduct 'stress checks' (ストレスチェック). The surveys often ask employees if they feel a sense of 倦怠感. In this context, it is used to gauge risk for depression or overwork-related illness (karoshi prevention). If an employee mentions 倦怠感 to a manager, it is usually taken more seriously than if they simply said they were 'tired' (tsukareta), as it implies a physiological or psychological breaking point.

Finally, in literature, especially in the 'I-novel' (私小説 - shishōsetsu) genre, authors use 倦怠感 to describe the existential dread and boredom of the protagonist. It captures a sense of being 'tired of life' or 'tired of society,' reflecting a deeper cultural theme of social fatigue.

While 倦怠感 is a versatile word, learners often make a few key errors in its register and grammar. The most common mistake is using it in overly casual situations where a simpler word like 'darui' or 'tsukare' would be more appropriate.

Register Mismatch: If you just finished a gym session and say to a friend, 'あぁ、倦怠感がある' (Ah, I have malaise), it sounds incredibly dramatic and overly clinical. In that case, '疲れた' (tsukareta) is the correct choice. Use 倦怠感 for persistent, heavy, or unexplained tiredness.

❌ 運動した後に倦怠感を感じる。
✅ 運動した後に疲労感を感じる。
(After exercise, you feel 'fatigue' (hirōkan), not 'malaise' (kentaikan).)

Another mistake is confusing it with 疲労感 (hirōkan - feeling of fatigue). While they are similar, 疲労感 is the direct result of work or exercise. 倦怠感 is that 'heavy' feeling often associated with sickness or lack of motivation. If you have the flu, you have 倦怠感. If you worked a 12-hour shift, you have 疲労感. Using the wrong one can lead a doctor to look for the wrong cause.

Lastly, avoid using it for 'boredom' in a lighthearted way. If a movie is boring, you don't have 倦怠感; you are 'taikutsu' (退屈). 倦怠感 is a much heavier, more oppressive feeling than mere boredom. It is the boredom of a life that has lost its spark, not the boredom of waiting 5 minutes for a bus.

To truly master 倦怠感, you must know how it compares to its synonyms. Japanese has many ways to say 'tired,' each with a specific flavor. Choosing the right one shows a high level of linguistic sensitivity.

疲労感 (Hirōkan): Standard 'fatigue.' Used for physical or mental exhaustion resulting from a clear activity. It is less 'heavy' than kentaikan.
だるさ (Darusa): The noun form of the adjective 'darui.' This is the everyday, colloquial equivalent of kentaikan. Use this with friends or family. 'Kentaikan' is the version you use with your boss or doctor.
虚脱感 (Kyodatsukan): A sense of lethargy or 'emptiness' that comes after a great shock or a period of intense effort. It’s the feeling of being 'drained' or 'hollowed out.'

試験が終わって、緊張が解けると同時に強い虚脱感に襲われた。
(As the exam ended and the tension released, I was hit by a strong sense of lethargy/emptiness.)

Another interesting alternative is 億劫 (okkū). This describes the feeling that something is 'too much trouble' or 'a hassle' due to lack of energy. While 倦怠感 is the *feeling* of malaise, being 億劫 is the *result*—you don't want to move because you feel so heavy. If you have 倦怠感, then even taking a shower feels 億劫.

How Formal Is It?

Fun Fact

The character '倦' contains the 'person' radical (亻), suggesting a human state of exhaustion. '怠' contains the 'heart' radical (心), suggesting the lack of energy is also emotional/mental.

Pronunciation Guide

UK /ken.tai.kan/

US /ken.taɪ.kɑːn/

Japanese pitch accent is usually Heiban (flat), meaning the pitch stays relatively level after the first syllable.

Rhymes With

期待感 (kitaikan) 開放感 (kaihōkan) 幸福感 (kōfukukan) 違和感 (iwakan) 満足感 (manzokukan) 孤独感 (kodokukan) 達成感 (tasseikan) 連帯感 (rentaikan)

Common Errors

Pronouncing 'tai' like 'tay' (should be 'tie').
Confusing the 'n' sounds with vowels.
Over-stressing one syllable like English.

Difficulty Rating

Reading 7/5

The kanji are N1/N2 level, so they can be hard to read for beginners.

Writing 8/5

Writing 'ken' (倦) and 'tai' (怠) requires many strokes and precision.

Speaking 4/5

Pronunciation is straightforward once you know the word.

Listening 5/5

Common in news and medical contexts, easy to recognize.

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

疲れ (tsukare) だるい (darui) 感じ (kanji) 病気 (byōki) 体 (karada)

Learn Next

疲労 (hirō) 虚脱 (kyodatsu) 副作用 (fukusayō) 症状 (shōjō) 更年期 (kōnenki)

Advanced

不定愁訴 (futei shūsō) 自律神経失調症 (jiritsu shinkei shitchōshō) デカダンス (dekadansu) 閉塞感 (heisokukan) 疲弊 (hihei)

Grammar to Know

Noun + がある/ない

倦怠感がある。

Noun + を感じる

倦怠感を感じる。

Noun + に襲われる

倦怠感に襲われる。

Noun + を伴う

倦怠感を伴う。

Noun + のせいで

倦怠感のせいで。

Examples by Level

体に倦怠感があります。

I have a feeling of malaise in my body.

Uses the particle 'ni' to show where the feeling is.

ひどい倦怠感で動けません。

I can't move because of terrible malaise.

The particle 'de' indicates the reason/cause.

風邪をひいて、倦怠感が出た。

I caught a cold and malaise appeared.

The verb 'deru' (to come out/appear) is common with symptoms.

倦怠感はありますか？

Do you have any malaise?

A standard question in a medical intake form.

昨日は強い倦怠感があった。

Yesterday, I had strong malaise.

Past tense of 'aru' is 'atta'.

少し倦怠感を感じます。

I feel a little malaise.

The verb 'kanjiru' means 'to feel'.

倦怠感のせいで、学校を休みました。

Because of malaise, I was absent from school.

'No sei de' means 'because of' (negative result).

薬を飲んだら、倦怠感が消えた。

After taking medicine, the malaise disappeared.

The verb 'kieta' is the past tense of 'kieru' (to disappear).

全身に強い倦怠感を感じる。

I feel strong malaise throughout my whole body.

'Zenshin' means 'whole body'.

夏バテで倦怠感が続いている。

I have persistent malaise due to summer heat exhaustion.

'Natsubate' is a common cause of kentaikan.

倦怠感があるときは、無理をしないでください。

When you have malaise, please do not overdo it.

'Muri wo shinai' is a common advice for health.

病気の後、しばらく倦怠感が残った。

After the illness, malaise remained for a while.

The verb 'nokoru' means 'to remain'.

仕事のストレスで、倦怠感がひどくなった。

The malaise got worse due to work stress.

'Hidoku naru' means 'to become severe'.

倦怠感を解消するために、よく寝る。

In order to resolve malaise, I sleep a lot.

'Kaishō suru' means 'to resolve' or 'to get rid of'.

熱はないが、倦怠感だけがある。

I don't have a fever, but I only have malaise.

'Dake' means 'only'.

毎朝、ひどい倦怠感に襲われる。

Every morning, I am attacked by terrible malaise.

The passive 'osowareru' (to be attacked) suggests a sudden, strong feeling.

この薬の主な副作用は、倦怠感と眠気です。

The main side effects of this medicine are malaise and drowsiness.

'Fukusayō' means 'side effect'.

原因のわからない倦怠感が一週間以上続いている。

Malaise of unknown cause has been continuing for over a week.

'Gen'in no wakaranai' is a relative clause modifying kentaikan.

精神的な疲れが倦怠感として現れることもある。

Mental fatigue can sometimes manifest as malaise.

'Toshite arawareru' means 'to appear as'.

更年期障害の症状の一つに、強い倦怠感がある。

One of the symptoms of menopause is strong malaise.

'Kōnenki shōgai' refers to menopause/climacteric disorder.

休んでも倦怠感が取れない場合は、病院へ行ってください。

If the malaise doesn't go away even after resting, please go to the hospital.

The verb 'toreru' (to be removed/taken away) is used for symptoms.

慢性的な倦怠感に悩まされている人が増えている。

The number of people suffering from chronic malaise is increasing.

'Manseiteki' means 'chronic'.

彼は日々のルーチンワークに強い倦怠感を覚えた。

He felt a strong sense of tedium/ennui toward his daily routine work.

'Oboeru' here means 'to experience/feel' in a literary sense.

倦怠感を伴う発熱は、インフルエンザの可能性がある。

Fever accompanied by malaise may be the flu.

'Tomonau' means 'to accompany'.

長引く倦怠感は、うつ病の初期症状かもしれません。

Lingering malaise might be an early symptom of depression.

'Nagabiku' means 'to be prolonged/drag on'.

貧血になると、酸素不足で全身に倦怠感が生じます。

When you become anemic, malaise occurs throughout the body due to lack of oxygen.

The verb 'shōjiru' (to arise/occur) is more formal than 'deru'.

仕事に対する倦怠感を克服するために、キャリアチェンジを決意した。

In order to overcome the malaise toward work, I decided on a career change.

'Kokufuku suru' means 'to overcome'.

多くの患者が、退院後も続く倦怠感（後遺症）を訴えている。

Many patients are complaining of malaise (sequelae) that continues after discharge.

'Kōishō' means 'after-effects' or 'sequelae'.

内分泌系の異常は、しばしば激しい倦怠感を引き起こす。

Endocrine system abnormalities often cause intense malaise.

'Hikikiokosu' means 'to cause/bring about'.

その小説の主人公は、都会生活に対する深い倦怠感の中にいた。

The protagonist of that novel was in a deep state of ennui toward urban life.

Uses 'kentaikan' in a psychological/literary sense.

検査の結果、肝機能の低下による倦怠感だと判明した。

As a result of the tests, it was found to be malaise due to decreased liver function.

'Hanmei shita' means 'to be proven/identified'.

過度なダイエットは、栄養不足からくる倦怠感の原因となる。

Excessive dieting becomes the cause of malaise resulting from malnutrition.

'Kara kuru' means 'coming from' or 'originating from'.

社会全体の閉塞感が、若者の間に一種の倦怠感を生んでいる。

The sense of stagnation in society as a whole is producing a kind of malaise among the youth.

'Heisokukan' (sense of being trapped/stagnation) is a high-level concept.

自律神経の乱れが、不定愁訴としての倦怠感を増幅させている。

Autonomic nervous system imbalance is amplifying malaise as an unidentified complaint.

'Futei shūsō' is a medical term for vague symptoms.

彼の文章には、時代に対する鋭い洞察と、それゆえの倦怠感が漂っている。

In his writing, there drifts a sharp insight into the era and the resulting malaise.

The verb 'dayou' (to drift/waft) is used for atmosphere.

慢性疲労症候群の診断基準において、倦怠感の持続期間は極めて重要である。

In the diagnostic criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the duration of malaise is extremely important.

'Shindan kijun' means 'diagnostic criteria'.

近代化が進むにつれ、人間は自然から切り離され、実存的な倦怠感に陥った。

As modernization progressed, humans were severed from nature and fell into an existential malaise.

'Jitsuzonteki' means 'existential'.

抗がん剤治療に伴う倦怠感は、患者のQOL（生活の質）を著しく低下させる。

The malaise associated with chemotherapy significantly lowers the patient's Quality of Life (QOL).

'Ichijirushiku' means 'significantly' or 'remarkably'.

その政治家は、国民の政治に対する倦怠感を払拭しようと躍起になっている。

That politician is desperate to wipe away the public's malaise (apathy) toward politics.

'Fusshoku suru' means 'to wipe out/sweep away'.

虚脱感と倦怠感が入り混じった複雑な感情を、彼は言葉にできなかった。

He couldn't put into words the complex emotion where a sense of emptiness and malaise were intermingled.

'Irimajitta' means 'mixed together'.

世紀末文学に見られるデカダンスは、生に対する根源的な倦怠感の表れである。

The decadence seen in fin-de-siècle literature is a manifestation of a fundamental malaise toward life.

'Kongenteki' means 'fundamental' or 'root'.

心身の恒常性が崩れることで、病態としての倦怠感が顕在化するプロセスを詳述する。

We will detail the process by which malaise as a pathological state manifests due to the collapse of psychosomatic homeostasis.

'Kōjōsei' (homeostasis) and 'kenzaika' (manifestation) are academic terms.

消費社会の過剰な刺激は、皮肉にも人々の感性を麻痺させ、慢性的倦怠感を惹起している。

The excessive stimulation of consumer society, ironically, numbs people's sensibilities and provokes chronic malaise.

'Jakki suru' is a formal verb for 'to cause' or 'to provoke'.

ニーチェが説いたニヒリズムは、目的を喪失した近代人が直面する究極の倦怠感とも言える。

The nihilism preached by Nietzsche can be called the ultimate malaise faced by modern people who have lost their purpose.

'Sōshitsu' means 'loss'.

バイオマーカーを用いた倦怠感の客観的評価は、今後の医学的課題の一つである。

The objective evaluation of malaise using biomarkers is one of the future medical challenges.

'Kyakkanteki hyōka' means 'objective evaluation'.

倦怠感という主観的体験を、文学的表象から神経科学的知見へと架橋する試み。

An attempt to bridge the subjective experience of malaise from literary representation to neuroscientific findings.

'Kakyō suru' means 'to bridge' (metaphorically).

都市の喧騒の中に身を置きながら、彼は逃れようのない倦怠感に苛まれていた。

While placing himself in the hustle and bustle of the city, he was tormented by an inescapable malaise.

'Sainamarete ita' means 'was tormented/afflicted by'.

労働の疎外がもたらす倦怠感は、単なる肉体疲労を超えた構造的な問題である。

The malaise brought about by the alienation of labor is a structural problem that transcends mere physical fatigue.

'Sogai' means 'alienation'.

Common Collocations

強い倦怠感

全身の倦怠感

倦怠感を覚える

慢性的な倦怠感

倦怠感を伴う

倦怠感が抜けない

精神的倦怠感

倦怠感を解消する

ひどい倦怠感

倦怠感が出る

Common Phrases

倦怠感がある

— To have a feeling of malaise.

今日は少し倦怠感があります。

倦怠感を感じる

— To feel a sense of malaise.

全身に倦怠感を感じています。

倦怠感が続く

— Malaise continues/persists.

倦怠感が一週間続いています。

倦怠感がひどい

— The malaise is severe.

朝から倦怠感がひどいです。

倦怠感を訴える

— To complain of malaise (to a doctor).

患者が強い倦怠感を訴えています。

倦怠感が抜ける

— Malaise goes away/leaves the body.

なかなか倦怠感が抜けません。

倦怠感に襲われる

— To be hit/overcome by malaise.

急に激しい倦怠感に襲われた。

倦怠感の原因

— The cause of the malaise.

倦怠感の原因を調べる。

倦怠感を覚える

— To experience malaise (literary).

都会の喧騒に倦怠感を覚える。

倦怠感を伴う

— Accompanied by malaise.

頭痛と倦怠感を伴う症状。

Often Confused With

倦怠感 vs 疲労感 (Hirōkan)

Hirōkan is specifically 'fatigue' from effort. Kentaikan is 'malaise' from illness or unknown causes.

倦怠感 vs 退屈 (Taikutsu)

Taikutsu is simple boredom (nothing to do). Kentaikan is a heavy listlessness.

倦怠感 vs 虚脱感 (Kyodatsukan)

Kyodatsukan is the 'hollow' feeling after a shock. Kentaikan is the 'heavy' feeling of malaise.

Idioms & Expressions

"倦怠期"

— The 'stagnant period' in a relationship where the initial spark is gone.

結婚三年目で倦怠期に入った。

Social

"五月病"

— Malaise/depression occurring in May, often after starting a new job/school.

新入社員が五月病で倦怠感を感じている。

Social

"身も心もボロボロ"

— To be physically and mentally tattered/exhausted.

倦怠感が続いて、身も心もボロボロだ。

Informal

"重い腰を上げる"

— To finally force oneself to act despite lack of energy.

倦怠感があったが、重い腰を上げて掃除をした。

Neutral

"心ここに在らず"

— Mind is elsewhere (often due to mental malaise).

倦怠感のせいか、彼は心ここに在らずだ。

Literary

"根気が尽きる"

— To run out of patience/energy.

倦怠感が続き、仕事の根気が尽きた。

Neutral

"生きた心地がしない"

— To not feel alive (extreme malaise or shock).

ひどい倦怠感で、生きた心地がしない。

Dramatic

"気が抜ける"

— To lose motivation/tension suddenly.

大きな仕事が終わり、気が抜けて倦怠感が出た。

Neutral

"虫の居所が悪い"

— To be in a bad mood (often because of physical malaise).

倦怠感のせいで、今日は虫の居所が悪いようだ。

Informal

"病は気から"

— Sickness starts from the mind (often said to someone with malaise).

倦怠感も、病は気からかもしれないよ。

Proverb

Easily Confused

倦怠感 vs 倦怠 (Kentai)

They look almost the same.

倦怠 is the state of being weary/bored. 倦怠感 is the *feeling* of it. 倦怠 is often used for relationships (倦怠期).

二人の間には倦怠が漂っていた。

倦怠感 vs 倦厭 (Ken'en)

Starts with the same kanji.

Ken'en means 'dislike' or 'shunning' something out of weariness.

世俗を倦厭する。

倦怠感 vs 倦む (Umu)

The verb form of the first kanji.

Umu means to get tired of doing something specific.

単調な生活に倦む。

倦怠感 vs 怠惰 (Taida)

Contains the second kanji.

Taida means 'lazy' as a personality trait or choice. Kentaikan is a symptom/feeling.

怠惰な生活を送る。

倦怠感 vs 安逸 (An'itsu)

Relates to being idle.

An'itsu means living in idle comfort/ease.

安逸をむさぼる。

Sentence Patterns

[Noun] があります。

倦怠感があります。

[Cause] で [Noun] が出ました。

風邪で倦怠感が出ました。

[Noun] を感じています。

強い倦怠感を感じています。

[Noun] が抜けません。

なかなか倦怠感が抜けません。

[Noun] を伴う [Symptom]。

倦怠感を伴う発熱。

[Noun] に悩まされる。

慢性的な倦怠感に悩まされる。

[Noun] を覚える。

人生に倦怠感を覚える。

[Noun] が顕在化する。

病態としての倦怠感が顕在化する。

Word Family

Nouns

倦怠 (kenta) - weariness

倦怠期 (kentaiki) - stagnant period

Verbs

倦む (umu) - to grow weary of

怠る (okotaru) - to be neglectful

Adjectives

倦怠な (kentai-na) - weary/tedious (rare)

疲労 (hirō)

疲弊 (hihei)

怠惰 (taida)

倦厭 (ken'en)

退屈 (taikutsu)

How to Use It

frequency

High in medical/news, Medium in daily life.

Common Mistakes

倦怠感する (Kentaikan suru) → 倦怠感がある (Kentaikan ga aru)
Kentaikan is a noun, not a suru-verb.
Using it for a boring book. → 退屈な本 (Taikutsu na hon)
Kentaikan is too heavy and clinical for media boredom.
Confusing it with 疲労感 after a workout. → 疲労感 (Hirōkan)
Post-exercise tiredness is fatigue, not malaise.
Using it casually with friends. → だるい (Darui)
Kentaikan sounds like you are reading a medical textbook in a cafe.
Writing 怠 with a 'hand' radical. → 怠 (with heart radical)
The feeling comes from the heart, not the hand.

Tips

At the Doctor

Always check the 倦怠感 box on medical forms if you feel generally unwell and weak.

Verb Pairing

Pair it with 'oboeru' (覚える) in writing to sound like a native author.

Distinction

Remember: 疲労 (Hirō) = I worked hard. 倦怠 (Kentai) = I feel heavy/sick.

Work Etiquette

If you tell your Japanese boss you have 'kentaikan,' they will likely tell you to go home or see a doctor immediately.

Kanji Tip

The 'heart' (心) radical in 怠 (tai) reminds you that it's a feeling from within.

May Sickness

Learn about 'Gogatsu-byō' to see how 倦怠感 is used in Japanese culture.

Flat Tone

Don't stress the 'tai'. Keep your voice level throughout the word.

Newspapers

Look for this word in the 'Health' section of the Yomiuri or Asahi Shimbun.

Easy Memory

KEN is TAI-red. This simple sentence covers the first two kanji.

Casual Version

If 'kentaikan' feels too hard, just say 'karada ga omoi' (my body is heavy).

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Imagine a guy named KEN who is so TAI-red (tired) that he can't feel (KAN) anything but heaviness.

Visual Association

A heavy iron weight sitting on someone's shoulders while they try to walk through thick mud.

Word Web

Sickness Fatigue Heaviness Hospital Burnout Boredom Lethargy Malaise

Challenge

Try to use 'kentaikan' next time you feel a bit under the weather instead of just saying 'tsukareta'.

Word Origin

Derived from Middle Chinese roots. '倦' (ken) means tired or bored. '怠' (tai) means lazy or slack. '感' (kan) is a suffix for feeling/sensation.

Original meaning: A state of being weary and neglectful of one's duties due to lack of energy.

Sino-Japanese (Kango).

Cultural Context

Be careful when using this word about others; it can imply they are 'lazy' (because of the 'tai' kanji) if used incorrectly, though usually it's understood as a health issue.

English speakers often just say 'I feel blah' or 'I have no energy.' Kentaikan is more precise, like the medical term 'malaise.'

Natsume Soseki's novels often feature characters with existential kentaikan. NHK health programs frequently use this word. COVID-19 symptom lists in Japan.

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

At the Hospital

強い倦怠感があります。
倦怠感はいつからですか？
全身に倦怠感を感じます。
倦怠感が抜けません。

At Work

倦怠感で集中できません。
ストレスからくる倦怠感です。
倦怠感があるため休みます。
仕事に倦怠感を覚える。

TV News

主な症状は倦怠感です。
強い倦怠感を伴う発熱。
倦怠感を訴える人が急増。
倦怠感への注意を呼びかけ。

Health Articles

倦怠感の解消法。
更年期と倦怠感の関係。
倦怠感を引き起こす病気。
慢性的な倦怠感の対策。

Literature

人生への深い倦怠感。
都会の倦怠感に浸る。
倦怠感に満ちた午後。
日々の倦怠から逃れる。

Conversation Starters

"最近、倦怠感が続いていて困っているんです。"

"ワクチンの後、倦怠感は出ましたか？"

"この暑さのせいか、全身に倦怠感がありますね。"

"仕事で倦怠感を感じた時、どうやって解消していますか？"

"更年期障害で倦怠感がひどいと聞いたことがありますが、本当ですか？"

Journal Prompts

今日はひどい倦怠感があった。その原因は何だと思うか、詳しく書いてみよう。

もし一ヶ月間、全く倦怠感を感じないとしたら、何をしたいですか？

仕事や勉強で「倦怠感」を感じる瞬間はいつですか？どう対処しますか？

都会の生活と田舎の生活、どちらが「倦怠感」を感じやすいと思いますか？

「倦怠感」という言葉を使って、今の自分の体調を詳しく説明してください。

Frequently Asked Questions

10 questions

No. 倦怠感 is a medical or psychological symptom. While it makes you *look* lazy because you lack energy, it is an involuntary feeling of malaise, not a character trait.

Use 'darui' with friends, family, or when you are just feeling a bit sluggish. Use 'kentaikan' with doctors, bosses, or in formal writing.

Yes, you can say '倦怠感を感じます' (Kentaikan wo kanjimasu) or '倦怠感があります' (Kentaikan ga arimasu).

No, it can also be mental. For example, burnout or existential boredom can be called 'seishinteki kentaikan'.

It refers to the 'stagnant stage' of a marriage or relationship where the couple feels bored or weary of each other.

It is 倦. It has a 'person' radical on the left and a 'roll' shape on the right. It has 11 strokes.

Not necessarily. You can have 倦怠感 without a fever, though they often appear together in the flu.

Yes, especially in 'slice of life' anime where characters feel bored with school or in medical dramas.

It’s a bit too heavy for a movie. Use '退屈' (taikutsu) for a boring movie.

Words like 活力 (vitality) or 充実感 (fulfillment) are good opposites.