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A2 adjective 9 min read

だるい

darui
Examples だるい in 30 Seconds
Explanation だるい in your Level:
At the A1 level, learners should recognize 'darui' as a simple way to describe feeling unwell or tired in a physical sense. It is often taught alongside body parts. For example, if your legs are tired after walking a lot, you can say 'ashi ga darui.' It is a basic 'status' word for your body. At this stage, you don't need to worry about the slang meanings or complex conjugations. Just remember that it is an 'i-adjective' used to say 'I feel heavy' or 'I feel sluggish.' It is very useful when you go to a doctor or talk to a friend about a cold. You might hear it in simple anime scenes where a character is lying on the ground. Focus on the core physical meaning: the sensation of your body being heavy and lacking energy. This is a common feeling in Japan's hot summers, so it's a great word to have in your basic toolkit. You can use it with 'desu' to be polite: 'Darui desu.' Or just 'darui' with friends. It's a foundational word for expressing physical state.
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At the A2 level, you begin to see 'darui' used in more varied contexts, including the early stages of social commentary. You should be able to conjugate it into the past tense ('darukatta') and the negative ('darukunai'). You will also start to notice it being used for things that are a 'drag' or 'bothersome.' For instance, 'shukudai ga darui' (homework is a drag). This is a bridge to more natural, conversational Japanese. You should distinguish between 'darui' (sluggish/heavy) and 'tsukareta' (tired/exhausted). A2 learners should also be familiar with the 'darusa' (sluggishness) noun form, which is common in medical or health-related conversations. You might use it to explain why you are skipping a social event: 'Chotto karada ga darui node, yasumimasu' (I feel a bit sluggish, so I will rest). This level is about expanding the word from a simple physical symptom to a more general expression of low motivation or physical heaviness caused by external factors like weather.
By B1, you should be comfortable using 'darui' in its slangier, colloquial forms. You will recognize 'darii' as a common contraction used by young people and understand the nuance of social apathy it conveys. You should also be able to use 'darui' in more complex sentence structures, such as 'darusou ni' (seeming sluggishly) to describe how someone is acting. For example, 'Kare wa darusou ni kaban o motta' (He carried his bag sluggishly). At B1, you should also understand the cultural context of 'natsubate' (summer fatigue) and how 'darui' is the primary adjective used to describe that state. You'll start to see it in literature and more nuanced media, where it describes a character's internal lack of drive or their reaction to a tedious social environment. You should also be aware of its potential to sound rude if used improperly with superiors, and know more formal alternatives like 'taichou ga suguremasen.'
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At the B2 level, you should have a deep understanding of the psychological and physical nuances of 'darui.' You can use it to describe not just a state, but a specific type of atmospheric heaviness. You understand the difference between 'darui' and its synonyms like 'shindoi' (mentally/physically taxing) and 'mendokusai' (troublesome). You can use 'darui' to critique a situation or a person's behavior with subtlety. For example, describing a relationship as 'darui' suggests it has become a draining chore rather than a joy. You should also be familiar with the etymology (from 'tarumu' - to slacken) and how that history informs its current meaning of a loss of tension or vigor. B2 learners should be able to navigate the various registers of the word, from clinical descriptions to gritty, street-level slang, without making social errors. You can also use it in its adverbial form 'daruku' to describe how a limb feels: 'Ashi ga daruku kanjiru.'
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At the C1 level, 'darui' is a tool for precise expression. You can use it to describe the existential ennui or the listlessness found in modern Japanese literature (like the works of Murakami or Yoshimoto). You understand how 'darui' reflects a certain cultural zeitgeist of the 'lost decades' or the 'Satori generation' (the 'enlightened' generation that has low desires and finds social competition 'darui'). You can discuss the word's role in Japanese aesthetics—the beauty of a certain kind of listlessness or the realistic portrayal of human frailty. You are also proficient in using the word in medical or technical discussions about health, describing the specific physiological sensations of 'darusa.' You can distinguish between the 'darui' of a humid afternoon and the 'darui' of a chronic condition. Your usage is indistinguishable from a native speaker, including the subtle timing of the slang 'darii' used for comedic or dramatic effect.
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At the C2 level, your mastery of 'darui' includes an intuitive grasp of its most subtle connotations and historical echoes. You can analyze its use in classical-style modern prose and understand how it contrasts with older terms for weariness. You are aware of the regional variations (how it might be replaced by 'shindoi' or 'erai' in different dialects) and can adapt your speech accordingly. You can use 'darui' to describe complex emotional states where physical lethargy and mental resignation intertwine. You can lecture on the linguistic evolution from 'tarumu' to 'darui' and how the shifting of the initial consonant changed the word's 'flavor.' In professional settings, you use the most sophisticated alternatives, but in private, you can use the word with all its raw, colloquial power. You understand the 'darui' culture of modern Japan—the specific type of burnout and social exhaustion that the word captures so perfectly.
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Examples

だるい in 30 Seconds

  • だるい (darui) is an i-adjective primarily meaning 'sluggish' or 'weary,' describing a physical feeling of heaviness in the limbs or the whole body.
  • It is commonly used to describe symptoms of a cold, the effects of high humidity, or general lack of energy after waking up.
  • In casual Japanese, it serves as slang for 'bothersome,' 'annoying,' or 'tedious,' often applied to homework, long meetings, or annoying people.
  • It conjugates like a standard i-adjective (darukatta, darukunai) and is often used with the particle 'ga' to specify body parts (ashi ga darui).
The Japanese word だるい (darui) is a quintessential i-adjective that captures a very specific internal state of being. At its core, it describes a sensation of physical heaviness, sluggishness, or a general lack of energy that makes movement feel burdensome. Unlike simply being 'tired' (tsukareta), which often implies a depletion of energy after a specific activity, darui suggests a state where your limbs feel like lead, often due to illness, humidity, or psychological weight. It is the feeling you have when you are coming down with a fever, or when the extreme humidity of a Japanese summer (mushi-atsui) saps every ounce of your physical vigor.
Physical Sensation
The feeling of your body being heavy, often associated with the early stages of a cold or general malaise.
Psychological State
A feeling of being unmotivated or finding a task so bothersome that it manifests as a physical reluctance to move.

風邪のせいで体がだるいです。(Kaze no sei de karada ga darui desu.)

Beyond the physical, darui has evolved into a powerful social descriptor. When a student says a class is darui, they aren't necessarily saying they are physically ill; rather, they are expressing that the effort required to engage with the class feels overwhelmingly tedious. It bridges the gap between 'I am tired' and 'This is a hassle.' This duality makes it one of the most frequently used adjectives in daily Japanese life. You will hear it in doctors' offices when patients describe their symptoms, and you will hear it in high school hallways when teenagers complain about their homework. It is a word that demands empathy because it describes a state that everyone has felt—that heavy, sinking feeling where the world just feels like too much effort.

今日はなんとなく足がだるい。(Kyou wa nantonaku ashi ga darui.)

Slang Nuance
Used as an interjection to show annoyance or lack of interest in a social interaction or task.

宿題やるの、超だるいんだけど。(Shukudai yaru no, chou darui n dakedo.)

湿気が多くて体がだるいね。(Shikke ga ookute karada ga darui ne.)

立ち仕事の後は足がだるい。(Tachishigoto no ato wa ashi ga darui.)

Using だるい correctly requires understanding its grammatical behavior as an i-adjective and its contextual flexibility. Grammatically, it follows all the standard rules for i-adjectives. To say you were feeling sluggish in the past, you change the final 'i' to 'katta,' resulting in darukatta. To negate it, you change it to darukunai. In a formal setting, you would add 'desu' at the end: darui desu. However, the true mastery of this word lies in the particles that precede it. Most commonly, you will see the particle が (ga) used to specify which part of the body feels heavy. For example, 'ashi ga darui' (my legs feel heavy) or 'ude ga darui' (my arms feel heavy). If you are describing a general whole-body malaise, 'karada ga darui' is the standard phrase.
Conjugation: Present
だるい (Darui) - It is sluggish / I feel weary.
Conjugation: Past
だるかった (Darukatta) - It was sluggish / I felt weary.

昨日は一日中体がだるかった。(Kinou wa ichinichijuu karada ga darukatta.)

In conversational Japanese, darui is often used with the explanatory 'n desu' to provide a reason for one's behavior. If someone asks why you aren't going to the party, you might say 'Chotto karada ga daruin desu' (It's that my body feels a bit heavy/sluggish). This softens the statement and provides a nuance of physical justification. Another common pattern is using darui with 'sou' to mean 'looks/seems.' 'Daruisou ni aruku' means to walk in a way that looks sluggish or weary. This is great for descriptive writing or storytelling.

彼はだるそうに返事をした。(Kare wa darusou ni henji o shita.)

Comparative Usage
Comparing darui to tsukareta: Tsukareta is 'spent,' while darui is 'heavy/unwilling.'

熱があるときは、全身がだるくなります。(Netsu ga aru toki wa, zenshin ga daruku narimasu.)

そんなだるいこと、言わないでよ。(Sonna darui koto, iwanaide yo.)

月曜日の朝はいつも体がだるい。(Getsuyoubi no asa wa itsumo karada ga darui.)

You will encounter だるい in a wide variety of social contexts in Japan, ranging from the clinical to the colloquial. In a medical context, it is a standard term. Doctors and nurses will ask, 'Zenshin no darusa wa arimasu ka?' (Do you have a feeling of sluggishness throughout your body?). Here, 'darusa' is the noun form. It is the go-to word for describing the symptoms of the flu, anemia, or chronic fatigue. If you are ever at a Japanese clinic, knowing this word is essential for accurately describing how you feel beyond just 'pain' or 'fever.'
At the Clinic
Used to describe the 'heavy' feeling associated with illness or low blood pressure.

体がだるくて、起き上がれません。(Karada ga darukute, okiagaremasen.)

In the world of anime and manga, darui is the hallmark of the 'lazy' or 'apathetic' character archetype. Think of characters who find everything a chore; they will frequently sigh and mutter 'darii...' This usage has permeated real-life youth culture. Among teenagers and young adults, darui is used to describe people who are annoying or situations that are socially exhausting. For example, if a friend is being overly dramatic or demanding, someone might whisper 'Aitsu, darui ne' (That guy is such a drag). This shift from physical sensation to social annoyance is a key part of modern Japanese.

部活に行くのがだるいなあ。(Bukatsu ni iku no ga darui naa.)

In the Office
Colleagues might use it to describe the post-lunch slump or the fatigue of a long meeting.

午後の会議はいつもだるい。(Gogo no kaigi wa itsumo darui.)

夏バテで全身がだるい。(Natsubate de zenshin ga darui.)

あー、もう、まじでだるい。(Aa, mou, majide darui.)

The most frequent mistake English speakers make with だるい is using it interchangeably with tsukareta (tired). While they are related, they are not synonyms. Tsukareta is the result of effort. You ran a marathon? You are tsukareta. You worked a 12-hour shift? You are tsukareta. However, darui is about the sensation of the body itself feeling heavy or uncooperative, often without a clear cause of exertion. If you say 'darui' after a workout, it implies your muscles feel heavy and leaden, whereas 'tsukareta' just means you are out of energy.
Mistake: Over-reliance on 'Darui'
Using 'darui' when you simply mean you are sleepy (nemui). If you need a nap, say 'nemui.'

❌ 走りすぎて体がだるい。(When you mean you are just exhausted from the run.)

Another mistake is the social register. As mentioned, darui has a very strong slangy connotation of 'bothersome.' If you say to your boss, 'Kono shigoto, darui desu' (This work is sluggish/bothersome), you are essentially saying 'This work is a pain in the neck,' which could get you in trouble. In a professional setting, if you are feeling unwell, it is better to say 'Taichou ga suguremasen' (I don't feel well) or 'Karada ga omui desu' (My body feels heavy), which is slightly more formal than darui.

❌ 先生、授業がだるいです。(Telling a teacher their class is a drag.)

Confusion with 'Mendokusai'
While both mean 'bothersome,' 'darui' implies a lack of energy, while 'mendokusai' implies the task itself is too complex or annoying.

風邪のひき始めで、なんとなくだるい。(Correct usage for early cold symptoms.)

足がだるいので、少し休みます。(Correct usage for heavy legs.)

昨夜はあまり眠れなかったので、体がだるい。(Correct usage for sleep deprivation.)

Japanese has a rich vocabulary for fatigue and annoyance. Understanding how だるい fits among them will greatly improve your fluency. The most common alternative is tsukareta (tired), which we have already discussed. Another important one is shindoi. Primarily used in the Kansai region but common nationwide, shindoi covers both physical exhaustion and mental strain. It is often more intense than darui. If darui is 'I feel heavy,' shindoi is 'This is physically/mentally painful and exhausting.'
だるい vs. しんどい
Darui is about heaviness/sluggishness. Shindoi is about the difficulty or pain of continuing an action.
だるい vs. めんどくさい
Darui is 'I lack the energy to do this.' Mendokusai is 'Doing this is a hassle/troublesome.'

今日は体が重い。(Kyou wa karada ga omoi.) - My body feels heavy (similar to darui).

For social annoyance, you might use uzai. Uzai is much stronger and more negative than darui. While darui says 'this person is draining me,' uzai says 'this person is annoying/disgusting/irritating.' Use uzai with extreme caution. For physical sluggishness caused by heat, natsubate is a specific noun you should know. It refers to the summer lethargy that darui often describes.

階段を上るのがしんどい。(Kaidan o noboru no ga shindoi.) - Climbing stairs is tough/exhausting.

だるい vs. おっくう
Okkū (億劫) is a more formal way to say something is a bother or that you are reluctant to do it.

返事を書くのがおっくうだ。(Henji o kaku no ga okkuu da.) - I feel reluctant/too lazy to write a reply.

最近、ずっと体がだるいんです。(Lately, I've been feeling sluggish all the time.)

あの人の話、いつも長くてだるいよね。(That person's stories are always long and draining, right?)

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Examples by Level

1

足がだるいです。

My legs feel heavy/weary.

Subject + ga + darui + desu.

2

体がだるいから、寝ます。

My body feels sluggish, so I will sleep.

Kara indicates reason.

3

今日はだるいですか？

Do you feel sluggish today?

Question form with ka.

4

昨日はだるかったです。

I felt sluggish yesterday.

Past tense of i-adjective.

5

手がだるい。

My hands/arms feel weary.

Casual sentence.

6

だるくないです。

I don't feel sluggish.

Negative form.

7

少しだるいです。

I feel a little sluggish.

Sukoshi is an adverb of degree.

8

全身がだるい。

My whole body feels weary.

Zenshin means whole body.

1

風邪で体がだるいんです。

It's that my body feels sluggish because of a cold.

n desu adds an explanatory tone.

2

だるいときは無理をしないでください。

Please don't overdo it when you feel sluggish.

Toki means 'when'.

3

このクラスはちょっとだるいね。

This class is a bit of a drag, isn't it?

Slang usage for 'boring' or 'tiresome'.

4

だるそうな顔をしていますね。

You have a sluggish-looking face.

sou means 'looks like'.

5

掃除をするのがだるいです。

Cleaning is such a drag.

no ga nominalizes the verb.

6

雨の日は体がだるくなりやすい。

On rainy days, my body tends to feel sluggish.

yasui means 'easy to' or 'tends to'.

7

昨日は体がだるくて、何もできませんでした。

Yesterday my body felt so sluggish I couldn't do anything.

te-form for connecting reasons.

8

そんなにだるいなら、休めば？

If you feel that sluggish, why don't you rest?

nara means 'if'.

1

部活の練習、だりーな。

Club practice is such a drag.

Darii is the slang contraction of darui.

2

湿気のせいで、全身がだるく感じられる。

Due to the humidity, my whole body feels sluggish.

kanjirareru is the passive/potential form of 'to feel'.

3

彼はいつもだるそうに歩いている。

He is always walking sluggishly.

darusou ni is the adverbial form of 'looks sluggish'.

4

こんなだるい仕事、早く終わらせたい。

I want to finish this tedious job quickly.

darui modifying the noun shigoto.

5

だるさが抜けないので、病院に行きました。

Since the sluggishness wouldn't go away, I went to the hospital.

darusa is the noun form.

6

あの人の話はだるいから、聞き流している。

That person's stories are tedious, so I'm just tuning them out.

kikinagasu means to tune out/ignore.

7

夏バテで体がだるいときは、うなぎを食べるといい。

When you feel sluggish from summer heat, it's good to eat eel.

Advice pattern: verb-dict + to ii.

8

だるいからって、そんな態度をとるなよ。

Just because you're tired/bored, don't act like that.

kara tte means 'just because'.

1

足のだるさを解消するために、マッサージに行った。

I went for a massage to get rid of the heaviness in my legs.

kaishou means resolution/elimination.

2

連休明けは、どうしても仕事がだるく感じてしまう。

After a long holiday, work inevitably feels like a drag.

shimau indicates an unintended or regrettable action.

3

彼女の「だるい」という言葉には、深い絶望がこもっていた。

In her word 'darui,' a deep sense of despair was contained.

komotte ita means 'was filled with'.

4

低血圧の人は、朝起きたときに体がだるいことが多い。

People with low blood pressure often feel sluggish when they wake up.

koto ga ooi means 'it often happens that'.

5

あまりにだるい展開に、途中で映画を見るのをやめた。

The plot was so tedious that I stopped watching the movie halfway.

tenkai refers to the development/plot of a story.

6

都会の喧騒の中にいると、何だかだるくなってくる。

Being in the hustle and bustle of the city, I somehow start to feel weary.

te kuru indicates a change starting to happen.

7

だるい人間関係からは、距離を置いたほうがいい。

It's better to keep your distance from draining relationships.

hou ga ii is the standard for advice.

8

彼はだるそうに肩をすくめた。

He shrugged his shoulders sluggishly.

kata o sukumeru means to shrug.

1

慢性的な倦怠感、いわゆる「だるさ」が続く場合は注意が必要だ。

If chronic fatigue—the so-called 'sluggishness'—persists, caution is necessary.

iwayuru means 'so-called'.

2

現代社会特有の、この「だるい」感じは何に起因するのだろうか。

What is the cause of this 'darui' feeling unique to modern society?

kiin suru means 'to be caused by'.

3

彼の文章からは、都会生活に対するだるいような虚無感が漂っている。

From his writing, a sluggish sense of nihilism toward city life drifts.

tadayotte iru means 'to drift' or 'to be in the air'.

4

湿潤な気候が、日本人の気質に「だるい」という感覚を植え付けたのかもしれない。

The humid climate might have implanted the sensation of 'darui' into the Japanese temperament.

ue-tsuketa means 'implanted'.

5

だるいからといって、義務を怠ることは許されない。

Just because it's a drag, neglecting one's duties is not permitted.

okotaru means 'to neglect'.

6

その俳優は、だるい演技で世間知らずな若者を見事に演じきった。

The actor perfectly portrayed a naive youth with his sluggish acting.

enji-kitta means 'performed to completion/perfectly'.

7

何をするにもだるいという状態は、うつ病のサインかもしれない。

A state where everything feels like a drag might be a sign of depression.

nani o suru ni mo means 'no matter what one does'.

8

政治に対する若者のだるい無関心が、社会の停滞を招いている。

The sluggish indifference of youth toward politics is leading to social stagnation.

manuite iru means 'is inviting/leading to'.

1

世紀末的なだるさが、当時の若者文化の底流に流れていた。

A fin-de-siècle weariness was flowing in the undercurrent of the youth culture of that time.

teiryuu means 'undercurrent'.

2

「だるい」という言葉の裏には、言葉にできない微細な身体感覚が潜んでいる。

Behind the word 'darui' lurks subtle physical sensations that cannot be put into words.

hisonde iru means 'to be hidden/lurking'.

3

その小説は、日常の何気ないだるさを、緻密な描写で描き出している。

The novel depicts the casual weariness of daily life with meticulous description.

chimitsu na means 'meticulous'.

4

身体の奥底から湧き上がるような、逃れようのないだるさに襲われた。

I was attacked by an inescapable sluggishness that seemed to well up from the depths of my body.

osowareta is the passive of 'to attack'.

5

この作品の魅力は、だるい倦怠感の中にある、一筋の希望の光だ。

The charm of this work is the single ray of hope found within the sluggish malaise.

hitosuji no means 'a single (line of)'.

6

だるいという感覚を、単なる怠惰と切り捨てるのは早計である。

It is premature to dismiss the sensation of being 'darui' as mere laziness.

kirisuteru means 'to discard/dismiss'.

7

彼女の声には、長年の苦労がもたらした、隠しきれないだるい響きがあった。

In her voice, there was an unconcealable, weary resonance brought about by years of hardship.

hibiki means 'resonance/sound'.

8

だるい、という呟き一つで、その場の空気は一気に弛緩した。

With a single mutter of 'darui,' the atmosphere of the place relaxed all at once.

shikan means 'relaxation/slackening'.

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