肩こり（かたこり、katakori）
- stiff shoulders

The Japanese word 肩こり (かたこり) refers to "stiff shoulders" or "shoulder stiffness." It's a very common complaint in Japan, and describes the sensation of tightness, achiness, or discomfort in the shoulders, neck, and upper back. It's often caused by poor posture, stress, or long periods of sitting. 肩こり is not typically used for injuries, but rather for chronic muscle tension.

⚫︎最近、肩こりがひどいです。 Translation: "Recently, my shoulder stiffness has been bad." ⚫︎マッサージで肩こりをほぐしてもらいました。 Translation: "I had a massage to relieve my stiff shoulders." ⚫︎肩こりの原因は、長時間のパソコン作業です。 Translation: "The cause of my stiff shoulders is long hours of working on the computer."

You can use 肩こり in various situations to describe your own discomfort or to inquire about someone else's. You can use it when talking to friends, family, or even doctors. It's appropriate in both formal and informal contexts. You might use it to explain why you are not feeling well, to request assistance (e.g., a massage), or simply to make conversation.

肩こり is typically written in hiragana as かたこり. The kanji form, 肩こり, is also common. 肩 means "shoulder," and こり indicates stiffness or rigidity. The okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) is consistent. There are no common variations in how it is written. 肩こり is also the subject when speaking of the 肩こり itself.

While there aren't direct synonyms for 肩こり, you could describe the feeling using other words: ⚫︎肩が凝る (かたがこる) - (literally) "Shoulders are stiff" ⚫︎肩の痛み (かたのいたみ) - "Shoulder pain" (if the pain is a prominent aspect) ⚫︎首の痛み (くびのいたみ) - "Neck pain" (often related to shoulder stiffness)

There aren't direct antonyms for 肩こり, but you could describe the opposite state: ⚫︎肩が軽い (かたがかるい) - "Light shoulders" (feeling of ease and comfort) ⚫︎肩が楽 (かたがらく) - "Easy shoulders" (similar meaning to "light")

毎日パソコンを使うので、肩こりがひどくなってしまいました。 ・Translation: "Because I use the computer every day, my shoulder stiffness has gotten worse." ・Explanation: This sentence explains that the speaker's shoulder stiffness has increased due to daily computer use.

最近、肩こりで困っています。何か良い方法はありませんか？ ・Translation: "Lately, I've been troubled by shoulder stiffness. Are there any good methods?" ・Explanation: This sentence expresses the speaker's problem with shoulder stiffness and asks for advice.

The word 肩こり is a compound word. 肩 (kata) comes from the word for "shoulder." こり (kori) is derived from the verb 凝る (こる), meaning "to stiffen" or "to get rigid." Therefore, 肩こり literally means "shoulder stiffening" or "shoulder rigidity."