胸(むね)が痛(いた)む

むねがいたむ

expression

to feel heartache; to be pained; to grieve

emotion body-part

1. to feel heartache; to be pained; to grieve

to feel emotional pain or distress, as when witnessing suffering or feeling guilty

そのニュースを聞(き)いて胸(むね)が痛(いた)んだ。

Hearing that news pained my heart.

被災者(ひさいしゃ)の様子(ようす)を見(み)て胸(むね)が痛(いた)む。

It's heartbreaking to see the disaster victims.

子(こ)どもたちの貧(まず)しい暮(く)らしを思(おも)うと胸(むね)が痛(いた)む思(おも)いだ。

Thinking about the children's impoverished lives fills me with heartache.

An idiomatic expression describing emotional pain felt in response to the suffering of others or one's own guilt. The pain is figuratively located in the chest (胸(むね)), reflecting the Japanese association of the chest with emotion.

Common collocations

胸(むね)が痛(いた)む思(おも)い: a feeling of heartache
胸(むね)が痛(いた)む話(はなし): a heartbreaking story
胸(むね)が痛(いた)むニュース: distressing news

Related words

胸(むね)が苦(くる)しい: to feel tightness in the chest — can be emotional or physical
胸(むね)が締(し)め付(つ)けられる: to feel a squeezing in the chest — stronger emotional distress
心(こころ)が痛(いた)む: one's heart aches — very similar meaning, slightly more literary

Usage

Often used when expressing empathy or compassion toward others' misfortune. Also used when feeling guilty about something one has done.

Related Words

Compare: 胸(むね)に刺(さ)さる (to hit home)

general

Added 2026.4.26 20:19 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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