驚嘆・驚歎|きょうたんkyoutan[0]heiban (flat)
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Which spelling to use
驚嘆驚嘆 is the more common kanji-only spelling. Use it when choosing a written form yourself.
驚歎驚歎 is a rarely used kanji-only variant of 驚嘆. You may encounter it, but use 驚嘆 instead when choosing a spelling yourself.
Definitions
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbwonder; admiration; being struck with admiration
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 驚嘆する（きょうたんする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 驚嘆します（きょうたんします） |
| Negative (nai) | 驚嘆しない（きょうたんしない） |
| polite (masen) | 驚嘆しません（きょうたんしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 驚嘆せず・驚嘆せぬ（きょうたんせず・きょうたんせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 驚嘆した（きょうたんした） |
| polite (mashita) | 驚嘆しました（きょうたんしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 驚嘆しなかった（きょうたんしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 驚嘆しませんでした（きょうたんしませんでした） |
| Te form | 驚嘆して（きょうたんして） |
| Potential | 驚嘆できる（きょうたんできる） |
| Passive | 驚嘆される（きょうたんされる） |
| Causative | 驚嘆させる（きょうたんさせる） |
| Causative passive | 驚嘆させられる（きょうたんさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 驚嘆すれば（きょうたんすれば） |
| tara | 驚嘆したら（きょうたんしたら） |
| Volitional | 驚嘆しよう（きょうたんしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 驚嘆しましょう（きょうたんしましょう） |
| Imperative | 驚嘆しろ（きょうたんしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym感嘆かんたんWrittenWritten/formal. Heartfelt admiration voiced as praise; carries less surprise than 「驚嘆」 and leans toward appreciation.
- Synonym驚きおどろきNeutralNeutral. The noun for surprise itself; it need not include admiration and applies to things good or bad.
- Synonym感心かんしんNeutralNeutral. Everyday admiration; fine even for mild cases, as in 「ちょっと感心した」. 「驚嘆」 is more written: admiration so strong it astonishes.
- Synonym感服かんぷくNeutralNeutral. Heartfelt admiration tinged with respect; more solemn than 「感心」 and does not stress surprise.
- Synonym驚くおどろくNeutralNeutral. A verb for being surprised; the most everyday choice, and it need not carry admiration or praise.
- Synonym嘆賞たんしょうWrittenWritten/formal. Transitive: admiring works or skills, as in 「作品を嘆賞する」; rare even in writing. 「驚嘆」 is intransitive, stressing surprise plus admiration.
- Synonym三嘆さんたんWrittenWritten/formal. Admiring something over and over; mostly seen in the set phrase 「一読三嘆」 and rarely used on its own.
- Synonym賞嘆しょうたんWrittenWritten/formal. Praise born of being moved; rare even in writing. The emphasis is on the praising, with little sense of surprise.
- Related絶賛ぜっさんNeutralNeutral. Raving, top-level praise focused on outward acclaim; contains no element of surprise.
- Related驚異きょういNeutralNeutral. An extraordinary thing that inspires wonder, or the amazement it provokes, as in 「驚異的な記録」; it names the wonder itself.
- Related敬服けいふくFormalFormal. Admiration mixed with deep respect; centers on the respect felt toward a person.
- Related驚愕きょうがくNeutralNeutral. Utter astonishment or shock, about good or bad things, as in 「世界を驚愕させた」. 「驚嘆」 adds admiration and praise to the surprise.
- Related賞賛しょうさんNeutralNeutral. Praise or commendation; the focus is on the act of praising, with no element of surprise.
- Related褒めるほめるNeutralNeutral. A verb for complimenting someone; the most everyday choice, with no nuance of surprise.
- Related賛嘆さんたんWrittenWritten/formal. Deep, heartfelt praise; rare even in writing and carries no sense of surprise, unlike 「驚嘆」.
- Related詠嘆えいたんWrittenWritten/formal. Giving voice to emotion aloud or in verse; also a grammar term. Only loosely related to 「驚嘆」, lacking its element of surprise.
- Related称揚しょうようWrittenWritten/formal. Publicly extolling someone's achievements; rare even in writing. The focus is outward praise, not one's own surprise and admiration.
- Related嘆美たんびWrittenWritten/formal. Praise or admiration; extremely literary and almost unused today. In everyday speech, 「褒める」 is the natural choice.
- Related褒め称えるほめたたえるNeutralNeutral. A verb for praising something to the skies; the point is voicing praise, not the surprise of 「驚嘆」.
- Related嘉賞かしょうFormalFormal. Commending something as good; extremely formal and rare, often a superior's commendation. 「驚嘆」 is one's own wonder, not praise directed at a person.
Use 「驚嘆」 for surprise combined with admiration, as in 「驚嘆に値する」. For admiration alone, pick 「感心」 (everyday) or the more solemn 「感服」 and formal 「敬服」; for plain surprise, 「驚き」 or the verb 「驚く」; for sheer shock, 「驚愕」. For praise without surprise, choose 「賞賛」, 「絶賛」, 「褒める」 or 「褒め称える」. The written/formal set — 「嘆賞」, 「感嘆」, 「賛嘆」, 「称揚」, 「嘆美」, 「賞嘆」, 「三嘆」, 「詠嘆」, 「嘉賞」 — is rare or literary; 「驚異」 names the wondrous thing itself.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
