Japanese word

惜しい

Pronunciation

Romajioshii

Meaning

  • i-adjectivea shame

Example

もう少しで勝てたのに、惜しかったです。mō suko shi de ka te ta no ni o shi ka tta de su

It was too bad; we almost won.

Illustration for 惜しい (a shame)

More examples

試合に負けて、惜しいです。shi ai ni ma ke te o shi i de su

It is a shame that we lost the game.

合格まであと一問だったので、惜しかったです。gō kaku ma de a to ichi mon da tta no de o shi ka tta de su

Since I was just one question short of passing, it was a shame.

Core concept

Expresses regret when a desired result is missed by a small margin or when something valuable is lost.

Common phrases

  • 惜しいところo shi i to ko ro

    so close

Similar words

悔しいkuyashii: Expresses frustration or regret when a desired result is missed despite one's effort.
もったいないmottainai: Expresses regret that something valuable is wasted, lost, or left unused.

Definition in Japanese

成功や実現まであとわずかで、そうならなかったことを残念に思うさま。sei kō ya jitsu gen ma de a to wa zu ka de sō na ra na ka tta ko to o zan nen ni omo u sa ma

Word origin

The native adjective 惜しい (oshii, "regrettable to lose") developed from the older adjective 惜し (oshi, "regrettable to lose") and shares its root with 惜しむ (oshimu, "to regret losing or wasting").

Usage tips

  • The same word 惜しい (oshii) covers both a near miss and a disappointing loss, which explains why English translations vary between close and a shame.

Other meanings

  • closei-adjective

Related words

Word lists with this word