鈍感

• Reading: どんかん
• Romaji: donkan
• Kanji breakdown: 鈍 (don/nibu) — dull, blunt, slow; 感 (kan) — feeling, sensation, sense
• Pronunciation: /doɴ.kaɴ/

Meaning

Insensitive; thickheaded; dull; thick-skinned. Lacking sensitivity to others' feelings or situations.

A na-adjective and noun describing a lack of perceptiveness or emotional sensitivity. The opposite of 敏感 (binkan, sensitive). Can be used neutrally or critically — 鈍感な人 (an insensitive person), 鈍感力 (the power of insensitivity, a popular self-help concept meaning resilience through not overthinking). Sometimes used self-deprecatingly: 私は鈍感だから (I'm oblivious, so...).

Examples

1. 彼女の気持ちに気づかないなんて鈍感すぎる。 Not noticing her feelings — that's just way too oblivious.
2. 鈍感な性格のおかげでストレスが少ない。 Thanks to my easygoing personality, I don't stress much.
3. あの人は周りの空気に鈍感だ。 That person is oblivious to the mood around them.

Usage Guide

Context: relationships, personality, daily life

Tone: critical

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 鈍 (don, dull/blunt) + 感 (kan, feeling/sense). Together they form 'dull feeling' — an inability to pick up on subtleties or emotional cues.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal