How to say "sense" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 感じかんじnounCovers 'sense' as a feeling or impression — the sense you get from a person, place, or situation. If English 'sense' could be replaced by 'feeling' or 'impression', this is the natural choice.
- 感ずるかんずるichidan verb (-zuru), transitive verb, intransitive verbThis is the verb: use it when 'sense' is an action — to sense or feel something, to experience it. When 'sense' is a noun, 感じ or 感覚 is the word instead.
- 意味いみnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers only the 'meaning' side of 'sense': the sense of a word, phrase, or statement, or what something signifies. It is never the word for a feeling or sensation — that is 感じ or 感覚.
- 感覚かんかくnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers 'sense' as sensation and perception — what the senses register, how something physically feels — and, by extension, intuition. Choose it over 感じ when the emphasis is on perceiving rather than on a general impression.
- 念ねんnounA marginal match for 'sense': what it conveys is a thought or feeling held in mind, and it turns up mainly in set expressions, so it is seldom the word you want here.
For 'sense' as a feeling or impression use 「感じ」, as sensation or perception use 感覚, as meaning use 意味, as a verb use 「感ずる」, and treat 念 as marginal — seldom the word you need.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 感じかんじfeeling
- 感ずるかんずるto feel
- 意味いみmeaning
- 感覚かんかくsense
- 念ねんsense
- センスtaste (in fashion, music, etc.)
- 悟るさとるto sense
- 察知さっちto sense
- 検出けんしゅつdetection
- 覚えおぼえmemory
- 察するさっするto guess
- 感じ取るかんじとるto perceive
- 感性かんせいsensitivity
- 理性りせいreason
- 道理どうりreason
- 気づくきづくto notice
- 調べるしらべるto examine
- 感じるかんじるto feel
- 知恵ちえwisdom
- 気がつくきがつくto notice
- 理ことわりreason
- 気取るけどるto suspect
- 感づくかんづくto sense
- だらしprudence
- 察すさっすto guess
- 事理じりreason
- 知るしるto sense
- 訳わけmeaning
- 意識いしきbecoming aware (of)
- 観念かんねんsense (e.g. of duty)
- 色合いいろあいflavour
- 嗅ぎ取るかぎとるto sense
- 節理せつりreason
- わきまえknowledge
- 声こえsense (of something's arrival)
See also
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