経験|けいけんkeiken[0]heiban (flat)

JLPT N4approx.Common
Definitions
  1. noun, suru verb, transitive verbexperience
    この仕事しごとでは経験けいけんがものを言ゆう。↗
    Experience counts in this job.
Conjugation
Dictionary form経験する(けいけんする)
Polite (masu)経験します(けいけんします)
Negative (nai)経験しない(けいけんしない)
polite (masen)経験しません(けいけんしません)
classical zu / nu経験せず・経験せぬ(けいけんせず・けいけんせぬ)
Past (ta)経験した(けいけんした)
polite (mashita)経験しました(けいけんしました)
Past negative (nakatta)経験しなかった(けいけんしなかった)
polite (masen deshita)経験しませんでした(けいけんしませんでした)
Te form経験して(けいけんして)
Potential経験できる(けいけんできる)
Passive経験される(けいけんされる)
Causative経験させる(けいけんさせる)
Causative passive経験させられる(けいけんさせられる)
Conditional (ba)経験すれば(けいけんすれば)
tara経験したら(けいけんしたら)
Volitional経験しよう(けいけんしよう)
polite (mashou)経験しましょう(けいけんしましょう)
Imperative経験しろ(けいけんしろ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym体験たいけんNeutralFirst-hand, personal experience, as in 「職場体験」「戦争体験」; stresses what you felt yourself. 「経験」 also covers accumulated background and track record.
  • Synonym経るへるWrittenWritten/formal prose. Means passing through a stage or process, as in 「審査を経る」; focuses on the process, not on experience built up over time.
  • SynonymエクスペリエンスWrittenWritten/formal loanword for experience, mostly in business and IT contexts, as in 「ユーザーエクスペリエンス」.
  • Related味わうあじわうNeutralTo taste or savor something yourself, as in 「苦しみを味わう」; carries an emotional flavor of personally feeling the sweetness or bitterness of it.
  • Related感じるかんじるNeutralTo feel or sense something; stresses perception rather than actually going through it yourself, so it does not always replace 「経験」.
  • RelatedうけるNeutralThe broadest of these: to receive or undergo something, as in 「ショックを受ける」; covers far more ground than 「経験」.
  • Related感ずるかんずるWrittenWritten/formal form of 「感じる」. To feel or sense, as in 「痛みを感ずる」; stresses perception, not lived experience.
  • Related見聞きみききNeutralWhat you see and hear with your own eyes and ears; stresses direct observation rather than experience gained by doing.
  • Related見聞けんぶんWrittenWritten/formal prose. Knowledge and experience gained from seeing and hearing, as in 「見聞を広める」; leans toward learning from observation.
  • Related被るこうむるWrittenWritten/formal prose. To suffer or incur something, as in 「被害を被る」; mostly negative, though it can also take kindness or support.
  • Relatedくぐり抜けるくぐりぬけるNeutralTo struggle through and survive hardship or danger, as in 「修羅場をくぐり抜ける」; about getting past a crisis, not experience in general.
  • Antonym未経験みけいけんNeutralThe antonym of 「経験」: not having experienced something yet, as in 「未経験者歓迎」.

For experience or a track record, 「経験」 is the default. Use 「体験」 for personal, hands-on experience, 「見聞」 for what you see and hear, 「味わう」 for savoring it, 「被る」 for suffering harm, and 「未経験」 for having none.

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 伝聞でんぶんなどではなく、実際じっさいにある事実じじつに直接ちょくせつ遭遇そうぐうすること。直接ちょくせつ見聞けんぶんしたり行動こうどうしたりすること。
  2. 過去かこにしていること。経歴けいれきがあること。実績じっせき。
  3. 1.2.によって得えられた知見ちけん及およびその累積るいせき。
  4. (婉曲えんきょく)性せい体験たいけん。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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