Meaning
悩 covers the full weight of inner turmoil — worry, trouble, anguish, distress. What these meanings share is the feeling of something pressing on the heart that won't let go.
The kanji has two parts. On the left, 忄 (the heart radical, a compressed 心) roots it in emotion. On the right, a component suggesting entanglement or constriction — the image of a heart knotted by something it can't resolve. Heart plus knots.
At 10 strokes, 悩 is a Jōyō kanji introduced at the secondary school level. That placement makes sense: the emotional vocabulary it belongs to — career anxiety, relationship strain, chronic indecision — tends to become real around that age.
Day-to-day, 悩 shows up whenever someone is genuinely burdened, not just mildly put out. It carries weight.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is ノウ (NOU), used mainly in formal compounds — especially those with roots in Buddhist thought or classical literature.
- 煩悩 (bon-nou) — earthly desires, worldly passions; a central Buddhist term for the mental afflictions that cause suffering and bind one to the cycle of rebirth
- 苦悩 (ku-nou) — anguish, deep suffering; found in serious or literary contexts, not casual speech
- 悩殺 (nou-satsu) — to captivate or bewitch; the idea of charm so powerful it "kills" the heart
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi readings are where 悩 lives in daily speech.
- なや.む (nayamu) — intransitive verb: to worry, to be troubled, to agonize. The person themselves is suffering the worry. Example: 将来について悩む (shourai ni tsuite nayamu) — to agonize over one's future.
- なや.ます (nayamasu) — transitive: to trouble someone, to torment, to cause distress. Something external is doing the afflicting.
- なや.み (nayami) — noun: a worry, a concern, a personal problem. Probably the most frequently heard form.
Common Words & Compounds
Everyday Emotional Words
- 悩み (nayami) — a worry, a concern; the most common form, heard constantly in casual conversation
- 悩む (nayamu) — to worry, to agonize; the base verb
- 悩ます (nayamasu) — to trouble or torment someone
- 悩ましい (nayamashii) — troubling, hard to decide; also used to describe someone alluringly attractive
Formal and Literary Compounds
- 苦悩 (kunou) — anguish, deep suffering; found in literature, journalism, and serious discussions of hardship
- 煩悩 (bonnou) — worldly desires; a Buddhist term for the root of human suffering
- 懊悩 (ounou) — writhing anguish; formal and literary, almost never spoken aloud
Modern and Colloquial Usage
- 悩み事 (nayamigoto) — something troubling one's mind; the kind of word used when opening up to someone you trust
- 悩み相談 (nayami soudan) — seeking advice on a personal problem; common in advice columns and counseling contexts
- 悩み続ける (nayami tsuzukeru) — to keep worrying; the continuous form signals the problem hasn't resolved
Example Sentences
彼女は進路について悩んでいる。
Kanojo wa shinro ni tsuite nayande iru.
She is worried about her future path.
毎日同じ悩みを抱えている。
Mainichi onaji nayami wo kakaete iru.
I carry the same worry every single day.
この問題は本当に頭を悩ます。
Kono mondai wa hontou ni atama wo nayamasu.
This problem really troubles my mind.
友達に悩みを打ち明けた。
Tomodachi ni nayami wo uchiaketa.
I confided my worries to a friend.
仕事と家庭の両立に悩む人は多い。
Shigoto to katei no ryouritsu ni nayamu hito wa ooi.
Many people struggle to balance work and family life.
煩悩を捨てることは難しい。
Bonnou wo suteru koto wa muzukashii.
Letting go of worldly desires is no easy thing.
彼は長年の苦悩を乗り越えた。
Kare wa naganen no kunou wo norikoeta.
He got through years of deep anguish.
悩ましい選択を迫られた。
Nayamashii sentaku wo semarareta.
I was pressed to make an agonizing choice.
悩み相談室は学校に必要だと思う。
Nayami soudan shitsu wa gakkou ni hitsuyou da to omou.
I think counseling rooms are necessary in schools.
Memory Tip
Picture a heart (忄) wrapped in knots. Worry doesn't feel free — it feels tangled, looped, stuck. The right side of 悩 looks like crossing lines pressed against the chest. The verb なやむ has a sound not far from "gnaw" — and worry does gnaw. Heart plus knots, gnawing away: that's 悩.