凝縮

• Reading: ぎょうしゅく
• Romaji: gyoushuku
• Kanji breakdown: 凝 (gyou) — congeal, concentrate, be absorbed in; 縮 (shuku) — shrink, compress, condense
• Pronunciation: /ɡʲoː.ɕɯ.kɯ/

Meaning

Condensation; concentration; the compression of something into a smaller, denser, or more intense form.

A noun and する-verb (凝縮する) used both in a literal scientific sense (the condensation of vapour into liquid) and figuratively to mean distilling the essence of something into a concentrated form. In figurative use, it describes expressing complex ideas, emotions, or experiences with concentrated intensity — often applied to art, literature, and rhetoric.

Examples

1. 彼の半生が凝縮された自伝は、読む者の心を強く揺さぶった。 His autobiography, which condensed his life story, deeply moved its readers.
2. 水蒸気が冷却されると液体に凝縮する現象を結露という。 The phenomenon in which water vapor cools and condenses into liquid is called dew.
3. 短い詩の中に人生の喜びと悲しみが凝縮されている。 The joys and sorrows of life are condensed within a short poem.

Usage Guide

Context: science, arts, rhetoric, literature

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 凝 (congeal, concentrate, be absorbed in) and 縮 (shrink, compress, condense). Together they describe the process of tightening diffuse elements into a dense, unified whole.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal