感覚

かんかく

sense, sensation

JLPT N3

Character Breakdown

Understanding 感覚 (かんかく)

感覚 refers to the physical or intuitive sense or sensation one experiences. It can mean the literal sensory perception such as sight, hearing, or touch, but also more abstract feelings like a sense of rhythm or timing.

Usage in Conversation

When you use 感覚, you often talk about how someone perceives the world around them or their intuitive feeling about something. For example, you might say 視覚の感覚 (sense of sight) or リズムの感覚 (sense of rhythm).

Common Collocations

  • 五感の感覚 (ごかんのかんかく): the five senses
  • 感覚が鋭い (かんかくがするどい): to have sharp senses
  • 感覚をつかむ (かんかくをつかむ): to get a feel for something

Register and Nuance

感覚 is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It often implies a natural or instinctive perception rather than something learned.

Common Mistake

Learners sometimes confuse 感覚 with 感情 (emotion). 感覚 is about sensory or intuitive perception, while 感情 refers to feelings or emotions. Keep this distinction clear to avoid misunderstandings.

Example Sentences

かれはごかんのなかでとくにしかくのかんかくがするどい。

Among the five senses, his sense of sight is especially sharp.

あたらしいかんきょうになれるにはじかんとかんかくがひつようだ。

It takes time and a sense to get used to a new environment.

かのじょはおんがくのリズムにたいするかんかくがとてもよい。

She has a very good sense of rhythm in music.