How to say "sympathy" in Japanese

• 共感きょうかんJLPT N1approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbSympathy in the sense of empathetic understanding — sharing or identifying with someone's feelings or viewpoint. Typical when you relate to another person's emotions, opinions, or experience.
  あなたの考え方かんがえかたには共感きょうかんできます。↗

  I really agree with what you're saying.
• 同情どうじょうJLPT N1approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbSympathy as feeling sorry for someone in misfortune, sometimes shading toward pity. The everyday word for expressing sympathy with someone facing hardship, illness, or loss.
  彼かれのことを同情どうじょうせずにはいられない。↗

  I cannot but feel sorry for him.
• 思いやりおもいやりCommon
  nounSympathy as warm consideration and thoughtfulness toward others. It covers compassion shown through kind, caring behavior rather than a feeling expressed about someone's situation.
  そんな事ことを言ゆうなんて彼女かのじょも思おもいやりがないね。↗

  It's thoughtless of her to say so.
• 情けなさけJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounSympathy as pity or compassion extended to someone, often with a nuance of mercy or leniency. It is the feeling a person in a position to help or forgive shows toward another.
  旅たびは道連みちづれ世せいは情なさけ。↗

  No road is long with good company.
• 弔意ちょういCommon
  nounSympathy only in the specific sense of condolence or mourning for the dead. A formal or literary term, so it is the word for condolences, not for sympathy in everyday situations.

Use 共感 for empathetic understanding, 同情 for feeling sorry for someone's misfortune, 「思いやり」 for caring consideration, 「情け」 for pity or mercy shown, and 弔意 for condolences over death.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 共感きょうかんsympathy
• 同情どうじょうsympathy
• 思いやりおもいやりconsideration
• 情けなさけpity
• 弔意ちょういcondolence
• 意気投合いきとうごうhit it off with (a person)
• 同調どうちょうconformity
• 人情にんじょうhumanity
• 同感どうかんsame feeling
• 心遣いこころづかいconsideration (for)
• 哀悼あいとうcondolence
• 人心じんしんhuman nature
• 感応かんのうresponsiveness
• いたわりsympathy
• シンパシーsympathy
• 同情心どうじょうしんsympathy
• 愛憐あいれんsympathy
• 物分りものわかりunderstanding (of people's circumstances and feelings)
• 恕じょconsideration
• 弔慰ちょういcondolence
• 憫察びんさつtaking pity upon
• お情けおなさけpity
• 心ばえこころばえconcern
• 感応性かんのうせいresponsiveness
• 理解りかいsympathy
• 涙なみだsympathy
• 共鳴きょうめいsympathy (with a view, idea, etc.)
• 情じょうcompassion