How to Say I'm Nervous in Japanese: Kinchō, Dokidoki and Agaru

Kinchō: the standard word for nervous

緊張 (kinchō) means tension, and with suru it becomes a verb: 緊張する (kinchō suru), to get nervous. To describe how you feel right now, use the te-iru form: 緊張している (kinchō shite iru), casually shortened to kinchō shiteru. In polite speech, it is kinchō shite imasu.

Japanese also often describes the feeling as it builds: kinchō shite kita, I'm getting nervous, is what you might say as your turn approaches. Use sugoku or metcha to intensify it with friends, and totemo or taihen in polite speech.

Kinchō is not only for people. Kinchō-kan, a sense of tension, can describe a room before a big announcement, and kinchō ga tokeru, the tension melts, is what happens when everyone relaxes.

Dokidoki: a pounding heart

ドキドキ (dokidoki) imitates the sound of a heartbeat, and dokidoki suru means my heart is pounding. It is the word for the physical side of nerves: waiting for exam results, going on stage, or asking someone out. It is also used for excitement and romantic feelings, so context tells you which.

Harahara is related but different: it is the anxious feeling of watching something risky, such as a close football match or a child climbing a tree. Uzuuzu, on the other hand, is being itchy to do something, the positive restlessness before you get started.

Agaru: stage fright and going blank

上がる (agaru) normally means to rise or go up, but it also means to get stage fright. When people say agatte shimatta, they mean they got so nervous in front of an audience that they went blank, stumbled over words or froze. Someone who gets stage fright easily is agari-shō.

Agaru is specifically about being in front of others: speeches, performances, presentations or sport. Atama ga masshiro ni natta, my mind went completely white, is the vivid way to describe what happened afterwards.

Fuan and shinpai: anxiety and worry

Nerves before a performance are kinchō; worry about something uncertain is 不安 (fuan) or 心配 (shinpai). Fuan is a more general unease or anxiety, often about the future or an unfamiliar situation: shigoto ga mitsukaru ka fuan desu, I'm anxious about whether I'll find work. Shinpai is worry about a specific thing or person: haha no kenkō ga shinpai desu, I'm worried about my mother's health.

Learners often say kinchō when they mean fuan. If there is no performance or event you are about to face, and you simply feel uneasy, fuan is usually the better word.

Saying it politely in interviews and speeches

In Japan, briefly admitting nerves at the start of a formal situation is common and often received warmly. A speech at a wedding or farewell party often opens with hanahada kinchō shite orimasu ga, I am very nervous, but, followed by the speech itself. It signals humility and wins a little sympathy from the room.

In a job interview, one short line at the beginning is enough. After that, answer confidently. Repeating that you are nervous, or apologising for your Japanese at every answer, draws attention away from what you want to say.

Calming phrases and what people say back

When you say you are nervous, friends usually reassure you. Daijōbu, it's fine, rirakkusu shite, relax, and ganbatte, good luck, are the everyday responses. Someone who knows you well may say itsumo dōri de ii yo, just do it the way you always do.

To calm yourself, people say ochitsuite, calm down, and shinkokyū shiyō, let's take a deep breath. A traditional trick, taught to many Japanese children, is to write the character for person, 人, on your palm three times and pretend to swallow it: te no hira ni hito to kaite nomu. It is a charm rather than a technique, but everyone will recognise it.

Common learner mistakes

These errors come up again and again when learners talk about nerves.

• Saying watashi wa kinchō desu. Kinchō is a noun; use kinchō shite imasu for how you feel now.
• Using kinchō for general worry. For anxiety about the future, use fuan; for worry about something specific, shinpai.
• Using dokidoki in a formal interview. Keep it for friends and light conversation.
• Using agaru for any nerves. It is specifically about freezing in front of an audience.
• Saying kinchō shinaide to a boss. It is a little direct; a more respectful encouragement is ganbatte kudasai or o-ōen shite imasu.
• Repeating that you are nervous throughout an interview. One line at the start is enough.

Kinchō shite imasu is honest, natural and understood everywhere. Say it once, take a breath, and carry on.