How to say "psychology" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 心理しんりnounCovers 'psychology' in the sense of a person's state of mind or mentality — how someone thinks and feels — rather than the academic subject, as in trying to understand a criminal's psychology.
- 心理学しんりがくnounThis is the word for psychology as an academic discipline, the science of the mind that one studies at university. Use it when English 'psychology' names the subject itself.
Choose 心理学 when 'psychology' means the academic discipline or field of study, and 心理 when it means a person's state of mind, mentality, or the way someone thinks and feels.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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