Meet 痛 in descriptions of pain. Learn its readings through complete words and useful situations.
The idea
痛 has 12 strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. 痛い（いたい） is an i-adjective, 痛み（いたみ） is a noun, and 頭痛（ずつう） uses the reading つう in a compound.
| Japanese word | Reading |
|---|---|
| 痛い | いたい |
| 痛み | いたみ |
| 頭痛 | ずつう |
Examples
- 頭が痛いです。My head hurts.
- 冷たいものを食べると、歯が痛いです。My tooth hurts when I eat something cold.
- 今日はお腹が痛いです。I have a stomachache today.
- 痛みが少し和らぎました。The pain has eased a little.
- どこが痛いか医者に伝えてください。Please tell the doctor where it hurts.
- 彼女は足に鋭い痛みを感じました。She felt a sharp pain in her leg.
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Watch out
痛い describes something painful; 痛み names the pain itself. 頭痛 means headache, so do not read it あたまいた. Learn each compound as a word.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 痛い in hiragana.
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いたい
痛い is いたい: 頭が痛い means your head hurts.
Write the reading of 頭痛 in hiragana.
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ずつう
頭痛 is ずつう: it means a headache; the compound uses つう.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿み（いたみ）［痛／病］.
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痛
痛 completes 痛み（いたみ）, the noun for pain.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 痛い in hiragana.
Write the reading of 頭痛 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿み（いたみ）［痛／病］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 痛 following the diagram. Cover the readings, read 痛い and 頭痛, then describe where something hurts.