The Meaning of kanshin [感心] In Japanese
感心
かんしん
Romaji: kanshin
N4
What does 感心 mean?
Translation and Meaning
admiration, being impressed
Definition
感心 means the feeling of admiration or being impressed by someone’s skill, performance, or conduct. It denotes genuine appreciation that moves the observer, and is used both as a noun and with する to form 感心する, the verb phrase for actively being impressed.
Type
Noun, suru-verb (名詞, サ変動詞)
Stroke Order
Meanings
- Admiration or being impressed by someone’s skill or conduct (kanpuku, kanshin).
- Used in formal or polite contexts to acknowledge merit or a notable achievement, often in commentary or praise.
- When used as 感心する, it denotes the act of being impressed rather than a passive feeling.
Etymology
感 (kan) + 心 (shin) combine to form 感心 (kanshin), a Sino-Japanese compound; its pronunciation comes from the on’yomi readings, reflecting a formation that expresses a felt impact on the heart.
Composition
- 感: feeling, sensation; 心: heart, mind; together they express a feeling that touches the heart, leading to admiration.
Usage
Used to express admiration toward someone’s abilities, achievements, or conduct in conversation, writing, and media commentary; common in formal contexts and when praising someone. It often appears with the verb 感心する to indicate active impression in real time.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: think of 感 as a surge of feeling and 心 as the heart; when a performance moves you, that feeling rises into kanshin.
Variations
- 感服 (kanpuku) — admiration; 敬服 (keifuku) — respect; 賞賛 (shōsan) — praise
Words with the same Kanji
Example Phrases
-
友達の 丁寧な 説明に 感心して、 メモを 取った。Tomodachi no teinei na setsumei ni kanshin shite, memo o totta.I was impressed by my friend’s detailed explanation and took notes.Lista:
- 友達の (tomodachi no) – friend’s
- 丁寧な (teinei na) – polite
- 説明に (setsumei ni) – to the explanation
- 感心して (kanshin shite) – being impressed
- メモを (memo o) – memo
- 取った (totta) – took
「感心」して means ‘to be impressed’; here it links to the following action.
