感情

• Reading: かんじょう
• Romaji: kanjou
• Kanji breakdown: 感 (kan) — feeling, sense; 情 (jou) — emotion, sentiment
• Pronunciation: /ka.ɴ.dʑoː/

Meaning

Emotion; feeling; sentiment. The broad range of human emotional experiences.

A noun that refers to emotions in general — the abstract concept of feelings. More formal and objective than 気持ち, which is more personal and subjective. Often used when discussing emotions analytically, such as in psychology or when talking about emotional control.

Examples

1. 感情を言葉にするのは難しい。 It's hard to put emotions into words.
2. 彼は感情をあまり顔に出さない人だ。 He's the type who doesn't show much emotion on his face.
3. 音楽を聞くと、いろいろな感情がわいてくる。 When I listen to music, all kinds of emotions well up inside me.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, psychology, literature

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 感 (kan, feeling/sense) and 情 (jou, emotion/sentiment). Both kanji relate to feelings, creating a word that broadly encompasses all emotional states.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal