What’s the Difference Between “Shonbori” and “Gakkari” in Japanese?

Ever seen someone walking home with their head down after failing an exam?
Or heard a friend sigh deeply after missing out on something important?

In Japanese, both situations can be described with similar feelings of disappointment — but the expressions are a little different:

Shonbori (しょんぼり)
Gakkari (がっかり)

What is “Shonbori” (しょんぼり)?

A Japanese onomatopoeia that expresses being dejected, downhearted, or dispirited.
It paints the image of someone slumping, shrinking, or looking sad in their body language.

• Used for: failing a test, being scolded, feeling lonely.
• Nuance: visual + emotional — it shows both the mood and the posture of sadness.

Example:
She didn’t pass the exam,
and walked home —
shonbori…

Pronunciation

shon-bo-ree (soft, with a sinking tone)

あわせて読みたい

What Is “Shonbori”? The Japanese Sound of Feeling Downhearted Ever seen someone sitting with drooped shoulders after bad news?Or felt your own energy fade after something didn’t go your way? That’s when the Japanese ono…

What is “Gakkari” (がっかり)?

Unlike shonbori, gakkari is not an onomatopoeia.
It’s an adverb/adjectival expression that simply means “disappointed” or “let down.”

• Used for: failing expectations, not achieving a goal, being let down by others.
• Nuance: purely emotional — a strong word for disappointment, without mimicking a sound or posture.

Example:
She couldn’t get tickets to her favorite concert,
and said —
“Gakkari…”

あわせて読みたい

What Is “Gakkari”? The Japanese Expression of Disappointment Ever felt so let down after expecting something great? Or realized things didn’t turn out as you hoped, leaving you deflated? That’s when Japanese speakers m…

Pronunciation

gah-kka-ree (clear, firm, emotional)

Cultural Note

In English, both could be translated as:

• “disappointed”
• “let down”
• “feeling down”

But in Japanese, the distinction is important:

• Shonbori (しょんぼり) = Onomatopoeia
  → captures not just the feeling but also the posture/atmosphere of sadness.
  
• Gakkari (がっかり) = Regular expression
  → expresses the emotional state directly, without sound-symbolism.

That’s why in anime, manga, or novels:

• A character with drooping shoulders is described as shonbori.
• A character exclaiming “Ah, I’m so disappointed!” is described as gakkari.

Examples in Daily Life

Example: Test results (Shonbori)

She didn’t pass the exam,
and walked home —
shonbori

Example: Missed concert (Gakkari)

She couldn’t get tickets to her favorite band,
and sighed —
gakkari…

Try Using Them!

• When you want to describe someone’s sad posture or mood visually
  → say shonbori.
  
• When you want to describe emotional disappointment directly
  → say gakkari.