How to say "resonance" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 共鳴きょうめいnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe default word for resonance, covering the physical phenomenon of one object vibrating in sympathy with another and, by extension, figurative resonance such as ideas striking a chord with people.
- 共振きょうしんnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers resonance in the sense of sympathetic vibration between physical systems. A less common alternative to 共鳴, it is chiefly a technical term and rarely the word you want for figurative uses.
- nounA katakana loanword for resonance, found mainly in technical, commercial, or stylistic contexts such as product names. It is less common and seldom the ordinary word for the physical phenomenon.
- 共鳴音きょうめいおんnounRefers to a sympathetic or resonant sound — the sound produced by resonance rather than the phenomenon itself. Use it when 'resonance' means an audible resonance, not the abstract concept.
Use 共鳴 for the general physical and figurative senses of resonance; 共振 for sympathetic vibration, 共鳴音 for a resonant or sympathetic sound, and 「レゾナンス」 for the loanword sound.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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