Meaning and Usage
"ショック" is a loanword from English meaning "shock". It is commonly used in everyday Japanese to express emotional or physical shock, surprise, or trauma.
Common Contexts
It can describe psychological shock from unexpected news or events, as well as medical shock (ショック状態) referring to a critical physical condition.
Collocations and Patterns
- ショックを受ける: to be shocked emotionally
- ショック状態: a state of physical shock or trauma
- ショックを与える: to cause shock
Register and Nuance
"ショック" is casual to neutral and widely understood. It is often used in spoken language and informal writing. For medical contexts, it appears in more formal settings.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "ショック" with "衝撃" (しょうげき), which also means shock but is more formal and often used for physical impact or strong impressions rather than emotional shock. Use "ショック" for feelings and medical conditions, and "衝撃" for physical or impactful events.