胸騒ぎがする

• Reading: むなさわぎがする
• Romaji: munasawagi ga suru
• Kanji breakdown: 胸 (muna) — chest, breast; 騒 (sawa) — noisy, commotion
• Pronunciation: /mɯ.na.sa.wa.ɡi.ɡa.sɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To feel uneasy; to have a bad feeling; to sense something ominous about to happen.

A set phrase expressing an intuitive sense of anxiety or foreboding. 胸騒ぎ (chest disturbance) describes the physical sensation of one's heart racing or chest tightening from worry. Combined with がする (to have a sensation), it conveys a premonition that something bad may happen. Often used in narrative and everyday speech when describing gut feelings.

Examples

1. 朝から何となく胸騒ぎがして落ち着かなかった。 I had a vague bad feeling all morning and couldn't settle down.
2. 連絡が取れないと聞いて胸騒ぎがした。 I got a sinking feeling when I heard they couldn't be reached.
3. 理由は分からないが妙に胸騒ぎがする。 I don't know why, but I have a strange feeling of unease.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, emotions, narrative, intuition

Tone: anxious

Origin & History

From 胸 (muna, chest/breast) + 騒ぎ (sawagi, commotion/disturbance) + がする (to feel/sense). Literally 'one's chest makes a commotion,' reflecting the Japanese tradition of locating emotions in the chest rather than the heart or head.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal