実感

• Reading: じっかん
• Romaji: jikkan
• Kanji breakdown: 実 (jitsu) — truth, reality, fruit; 感 (kan) — feeling, emotion
• Pronunciation: /dʑik.kaɴ/

Meaning

Real feeling; actual sensation. A genuine, firsthand sense of something.

A noun (also used as a suru verb) describing the moment abstract knowledge becomes a felt experience. Common in phrases like 実感がわく (a real feeling arises), 実感する (to truly feel/realize), and 実感がない (to not feel it's real). Often used when someone experiences something they previously only understood intellectually.

Examples

1. 合格通知を受け取っても、まだ実感がわかない。 Even after getting my acceptance letter, it still doesn't feel real.
2. 海外に住んでみて、日本の便利さを実感した。 Living abroad made me truly appreciate just how convenient life in Japan is.
3. 親になって初めて、親のありがたさを実感する人は多い。 Many people say it's only after becoming a parent that they really feel how grateful they are to their own parents.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, personal growth, milestones

Tone: reflective

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 実 (jitsu, truth/reality) + 感 (kan, feeling). Literally 'real feeling' — an emotion grounded in actual experience rather than imagination.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal