感覚・知覚

寒さむさで指ゆびの感覚かんかくがなくなった。

My fingers went numb from the cold.

Usage 感覚 is a physical sensation or a sense for something: 感覚がない (numb), 金銭感覚 (sense of money), 感覚的に (intuitively). 感情 (かんじょう) is emotion.

Remember it 感 (to feel) + 覚 (to perceive) → feeling and perceiving.

人間にんげんは情報じょうほうの多おおくを視覚しかくから得えている。

Humans get most of their information through sight.

Usage 視覚 = sight, the visual sense: 視覚的 (visual), 視覚障害 (visual impairment). The five senses are 視覚, 聴覚, 嗅覚, 味覚 and 触覚.

Remember it 視 (to look) + 覚 (sense) → the sense of looking.

犬いぬの聴覚ちょうかくは人間にんげんよりずっと優すぐれている。

Dogs' hearing is far better than humans'.

Usage 聴覚 = the sense of hearing: 聴覚障害 (hearing impairment), 聴覚が鋭い. 聴く (きく) means listening attentively.

Remember it 聴 (to listen) + 覚 (sense) → the sense of listening.

風邪かぜをひいて、嗅覚きゅうかくが鈍にぶくなった。

I caught a cold and my sense of smell got dull.

Usage 嗅覚 = the sense of smell: 嗅覚が鋭い (a keen nose), 嗅覚障害. The verb is 嗅ぐ (かぐ, to sniff). Figuratively, a nose for things: ビジネスの嗅覚.

Remember it 嗅 (to sniff: 口 mouth + 臭 smell) + 覚 (sense) → the sense of sniffing.

子供こどもの味覚みかくは大人おとなより敏感びんかんだと言いわれる。

Children's sense of taste is said to be more sensitive than adults'.

Usage 味覚 = the sense of taste: 味覚が鋭い, 秋の味覚 (autumn delicacies). The five basic tastes are 甘味, 塩味, 酸味, 苦味 and うま味.

Remember it 味 (taste) + 覚 (sense) → the sense of taste.

目めが見みえない人ひとは触覚しょっかくで点字てんじを読よむ。

Blind people read braille by touch.

Usage 触覚 = the sense of touch: 触覚が敏感. Insects' antennae are also 触覚 (sometimes written 触角). 触る (さわる) = to touch.

Remember it 触 (to touch) + 覚 (sense) → the sense of touch.

周まわりの人ひとの視線しせんが気きになって、緊張きんちょうした。

I was nervous, aware of people around me looking at me.

Usage 視線 is a gaze or the direction of your eyes: 視線を感じる (feel eyes on you), 視線をそらす (look away), 視線が合う (make eye contact).

Remember it 視 (to look) + 線 (line) → the line your eyes follow.

このホテルは部屋へやからの眺ながめがすばらしい。

This hotel has a wonderful view from the rooms.

Usage 眺め = a view: 眺めがいい, 海の眺め. The verb 眺める means to gaze at something at leisure. 景色 (けしき) is the scenery itself.

Remember it 目 (eye) + 兆 (a sign) → the eye taking in all the signs of the view.

後うしろに人ひとの気配けはいを感かんじて振ふり返かえった。

I sensed someone behind me and turned around.

Usage 気配 is a sense of something being there, or a sign: 人の気配, 春の気配 (signs of spring), 〜する気配がない (no sign of ...). Note the reading けはい.

Remember it 気 (air, spirit) + 配 (to spread) → something spread in the air.

夜中よなかに変へんな物音ものおとがして目めが覚さめた。

A strange noise woke me up in the middle of the night.

Usage 物音 is a sound or noise of something moving: 物音がする, 物音を立てる (make a noise). 騒音 is loud, annoying noise.

Remember it 物 (thing) + 音 (sound) → the sound of things.

工事こうじの騒音そうおんで眠ねむれない。

I can't sleep because of the construction noise.

Usage 騒音 is noise, especially as a nuisance: 騒音問題, 騒音公害 (noise pollution), 近所の騒音. 物音 is any small sound.

Remember it 騒 (to be noisy) + 音 (sound) → noisy sound.

山やまの中なかの静寂せいじゃくに心こころが落おち着ついた。

The stillness of the mountains calmed my mind.

Usage 静寂 = stillness, deep silence, a literary word: 静寂に包まれる (be wrapped in silence), 静寂を破る (break the silence). 静か is the everyday adjective.

Remember it 静 (quiet) + 寂 (lonely, still) → quiet and still.

庭にわから花はなのいい香かおりがする。

There's a lovely scent of flowers from the garden.

Usage 香り is a pleasant fragrance: 花の香り, コーヒーの香り, 香りがいい. 匂い is smell in general; 臭い (におい) is a bad smell.

Remember it 禾 (grain) + 日 (sun) → the fragrance of grain warmed in the sun.

台所だいどころからカレーの匂においがしてきた。

The smell of curry drifted from the kitchen.

Usage 匂い is a smell, usually neutral or pleasant: 〜の匂いがする. Written 臭い, it is an unpleasant smell. 香り is always pleasant.

Remember it 匂 (a smell wrapped in 勹) → a scent that wraps around you.

ゴミ置おき場ばから悪臭あくしゅうがして困こまっている。

There's a terrible smell coming from the garbage area, and it's a problem.

Usage 悪臭 = a foul smell or stench: 悪臭がする, 悪臭を放つ (give off a stench). 臭い (くさい) is the everyday adjective for smelly.

Remember it 悪 (bad) + 臭 (smell) → a bad smell.

このトマトは甘あまみが強つよくておいしい。

These tomatoes are really sweet and delicious.

Usage 甘み = sweetness: 甘みがある, 自然な甘み (natural sweetness). The suffix み turns an adjective into a noun for a quality: 苦み, 痛み, 深み.

Remember it 甘い (sweet) + み (quality) → the quality of sweetness.

このコーヒーは苦にがみが少すくなくて飲のみやすい。

This coffee isn't very bitter, so it's easy to drink.

Usage 苦み (also 苦味) = bitterness: 苦みがある, 苦みが強い. 苦い (にがい) is bitter; the same kanji read くるしい means painful.

Remember it 苦い (bitter) + み (quality) → the quality of bitterness.

このコーヒーは酸味さんみが強つよい。

This coffee is quite acidic.

Usage 酸味 = sourness or acidity: 酸味がある, 程よい酸味 (a nice tang). 酸っぱい (すっぱい) is the everyday adjective.

Remember it 酸 (acid, sour) + 味 (taste) → a sour taste.

このアイスは舌触したざわりがなめらかだ。

This ice cream is smooth on the tongue.

Usage 舌触り is how food feels on the tongue: 舌触りがいい, なめらかな舌触り. The 触り family: 手触り (to the hand), 肌触り (to the skin).

Remember it 舌 (tongue) + 触り (touch) → how it touches the tongue.

このセーターは手触てざわりが柔やわらかい。

This sweater is soft to the touch.

Usage 手触り is how something feels in your hand: 手触りがいい, ざらざらした手触り (a rough feel). Note the rendaku: てざわり.

Remember it 手 (hand) + 触り (touch) → how it touches the hand.

肌触はだざわりのいいタオルを選えらんだ。

I chose a towel that feels nice against the skin.

Usage 肌触り is how fabric feels on your skin: 肌触りがいい, 肌触りが悪い. It is common in clothing and bedding ads.

Remember it 肌 (skin) + 触り (touch) → how it touches the skin.

面接めんせつの感触かんしょくは悪わるくなかった。

I had a good feeling about the interview.

Usage 感触 is the feel of something, and figuratively an impression of how things went: 感触がいい, 手応え and 感触 are close. 柔らかい感触 (a soft feel).

Remember it 感 (to feel) + 触 (to touch) → what you feel by touch.

海外かいがい旅行りょこうはいい刺激しげきになる。

Traveling abroad is really stimulating.

Usage 刺激 is a stimulus, physical or mental: 刺激が強い (harsh, too intense), 刺激を受ける (be inspired), 刺激的 (exciting). 刺激物 are irritants.

Remember it 刺 (to pierce) + 激 (intense) → an intense, piercing jolt.

薬くすりを飲のんだら痛いたみがおさまった。

The pain eased after I took the medicine.

Usage 痛み = pain: 痛みを感じる, 痛みがおさまる (the pain subsides), 心の痛み (heartache). 痛む is the verb: 傷が痛む.

Remember it 疒 (sickness) + 甬 → a sickness that pierces through.

虫むしに刺さされて、かゆみが止とまらない。

I got bitten by an insect and the itching won't stop.

Usage かゆみ = an itch: かゆみがある, かゆみ止め (anti-itch cream). The adjective is かゆい (itchy). The kanji 痒み is rarely used.

Remember it Kanji form 痒み, with 疒 (sickness) → the sickness that makes you scratch.

長ながい時間じかん正座せいざをして、足あしにしびれを感かんじた。

After sitting in seiza for a long time, my legs went numb.

Usage しびれ is numbness or pins and needles: 足がしびれる, 手のしびれ. しびれを切らす means to run out of patience.

Remember it Kanji form 痺れ, with 疒 (sickness). Sitting seiza too long is the classic cause.

昼ひるご飯はんの後あとは眠気ねむけに襲おそわれる。

After lunch, I'm overcome with sleepiness.

Usage 眠気 = drowsiness: 眠気がする, 眠気覚まし (something to wake you up), 眠気に襲われる (be hit by sleepiness). The suffix 気 (け) means a feeling of: 寒気, 吐き気.

Remember it 眠 (sleep) + 気 (feeling) → the feeling of wanting to sleep.

熱ねつはないが、体からだのだるさが続つづいている。

I don't have a fever, but my body still feels heavy and tired.

Usage だるさ is a heavy, sluggish tiredness: 体のだるさ, だるさが取れない. だるい is the adjective, also used for being unmotivated.

Remember it Kanji form 怠さ: 怠 (lazy) → the lazy, heavy feeling in your body.

空腹くうふくで集中しゅうちゅうできない。

I'm so hungry I can't concentrate.

Usage 空腹 = hunger, an empty stomach, formal: 空腹を感じる, 空腹時 (on an empty stomach, as on medicine labels). お腹が空いた is everyday speech.

Remember it 空 (empty) + 腹 (stomach) → an empty stomach.

食たべ放題ほうだいで食たべすぎて、満腹まんぷくになった。

I ate too much at the all-you-can-eat place and I'm stuffed.

Usage 満腹 = full, stuffed: 満腹になる, 満腹感 (feeling of fullness). The opposite is 空腹. お腹がいっぱい is everyday speech.

Remember it 満 (full) + 腹 (stomach) → a full stomach.

運動うんどうの後あと、のどの渇かわきを感かんじた。

After exercising, I felt thirsty.

Usage 渇き is thirst: のどの渇き, 渇きを癒す (quench your thirst). 渇く means to be thirsty; 乾く (same reading) means to dry.

Remember it 氵 (water) + 曷 → a lack of water.

寒気さむけがするので、風邪かぜをひいたかもしれない。

I've got the chills, so I might have caught a cold.

Usage 寒気 (さむけ) is a chill or shiver: 寒気がする. Read かんき, the same kanji means cold air in weather reports: 寒気が流れ込む.

Remember it 寒 (cold) + 気 (feeling) → a cold feeling.

冷ひえ対策たいさくに、靴下くつしたを二枚にまい履はいている。

To deal with feeling cold, I wear two pairs of socks.

Usage 冷え is feeling chilled or poor circulation: 冷え性 (ひえしょう, always having cold hands and feet), 冷え込む (get colder).

Remember it 冷える (to get cold) → the state of being chilled.

暑あつくて汗あせが止とまらない。

It's so hot I can't stop sweating.

Usage 汗 = sweat: 汗をかく (to sweat, using かく), 汗だく (drenched in sweat), 冷や汗 (a cold sweat).

Remember it 氵 (water) + 干 (to dry) → water that comes out and dries on your skin.

運動うんどうすると脈拍みゃくはくが速はやくなる。

Your pulse speeds up when you exercise.

Usage 脈拍 = pulse rate: 脈拍を測る, 脈拍が速い / 遅い. 心拍数 (しんぱくすう) is heart rate.

Remember it 脈 (pulse) + 拍 (beat) → the beat of the pulse.

深ふかく呼吸こきゅうして、気持きもちを落おち着つけた。

I took deep breaths and calmed myself down.

Usage 呼吸 = breathing: 深呼吸 (a deep breath), 呼吸が苦しい (hard to breathe). Figuratively, 呼吸が合う means being in sync with someone.

Remember it 呼 (to exhale, call) + 吸 (to inhale) → breathing out and in.

緊張きんちょうして心臓しんぞうの鼓動こどうが速はやくなった。

I got nervous and my heart started beating faster.

Usage 鼓動 is the heartbeat, a slightly literary word: 鼓動が高鳴る (heart pounds with excitement). ドキドキ is the everyday sound word.

Remember it 鼓 (drum) + 動 (to move) → the drum that moves inside you.

階段かいだんを上のぼると息切いきぎれがする。

I get out of breath when I climb stairs.

Usage 息切れ = shortness of breath: 息切れがする. Figuratively, running out of steam: 最後に息切れした (faded at the end).

Remember it 息 (breath) + 切れ (running out) → breath running out.

彼かれは鋭するどい目めつきでこちらを見みた。

He looked at me with a sharp gaze.

Usage 目つき is the look in someone's eyes: 目つきが悪い (a mean look), 鋭い目つき. 〜つき means appearance: 顔つき (face), 体つき (build).

Remember it 目 (eye) + つき (appearance) → how the eyes look.

人ひとを見みかけで判断はんだんしてはいけない。

You shouldn't judge people by their appearance.

Usage 見かけ is outward appearance: 見かけによらず (contrary to appearances), 見かけ倒し (all show). 外見 (がいけん) is similar.

Remember it 見る (to see) + かける → what catches your eye at a glance.