実感

じっかん

feelings, realization

JLPT N2

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"実感" (じっかん) refers to the genuine feeling or realization of something based on personal experience. It often expresses when someone truly feels or understands a situation, event, or change.

Common Contexts

It is frequently used to describe emotional or physical awareness, such as realizing cultural differences, feeling the impact of a salary raise, or understanding the severity of a disaster.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 実感がわく: to start feeling or realizing something
  • 実感できる: to be able to truly feel or realize
  • 実感がない: to not feel or realize something yet

Register and Nuance

"実感" is neutral and commonly used in both spoken and written Japanese. It conveys a sincere, often personal, sense of realization or feeling.

Common Learner Mistake

Learners sometimes confuse "実感" with abstract understanding words like "理解" (りかい). However, "実感" emphasizes a felt, lived experience rather than just intellectual comprehension. To avoid this, use "実感" when you want to express a personal, emotional, or sensory realization.

Example Sentences

にほんにきてはじめて、いぶんかをじっかんした。

It was only after coming to Japan that I truly realized the cultural differences.

きゅうりょうがあがっても、まだじっかんがわかない。

Even though my salary increased, I still can't really feel it.

さいがいのにゅーすをみても、ひがいのおおきさをじっかんできないひともいる。

Even when watching disaster news, some people cannot truly grasp the extent of the damage.