恍惚

• Reading: こうこつ
• Romaji: kōkotsu
• Kanji breakdown: 恍 (kō) — dazed, absent-minded; 惚 (kotsu) — fascinated, entranced
• Pronunciation: /ko.ː.ko.tsɯ/

Meaning

Ecstasy; rapture; trance; fascination. A state of being so entranced by beauty, pleasure, or sensation that one loses awareness of the surrounding world.

A noun and na-adjective (恍惚とした) describing a blissful, trance-like state of absorption. It can refer to aesthetic rapture — a listener lost in music, a viewer transfixed by art — or to sensory pleasure. Also used in a medical context (恍惚の人 — a person in senile dementia), popularised by Ariyoshi Sawako's 1972 novel. Context determines which sense applies.

Examples

1. 美しい音楽に包まれ、恍惚とした表情で聴き入っていた。 Enveloped in beautiful music, she listened with a rapturous expression on her face.
2. 彼女は恍惚の境地で、目を閉じたまま動かなかった。 In a state of ecstasy, she remained still with her eyes closed.
3. 旨い料理を食べながら、思わず恍惚となった。 While savoring the delicious food, I involuntarily slipped into bliss.

Usage Guide

Context: literary writing, art criticism, personal experience

Tone: lyrical

Origin & History

A Sino-Japanese compound; 恍 (kō) suggests an absent, dazed state and 惚 (kotsu) means 'to be fascinated' or 'entranced.' Together they describe the condition of being so enraptured that one's normal consciousness dissolves.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal