憂鬱

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 憂鬱(ゆううつ) describes a heavy, low state of mind.
• Basic usage: It portrays feelings during a spell of gloomy weather or after troubling news.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A feeling and an outward appearance
  • 憂鬱な気分 names a gloomy mood, while 憂鬱そう describes looking gloomy. The latter focuses on an outward impression.
• Successive vowels
  • The reading is ゆううつ, with ゆう followed by うつ.