面影(おもかげ)

おもかげ
noun
traces; vestiges; image; reminder of someone
1. traces; vestiges; remains of past appearance
Visual or recognizable remnants of how something or someone used to be.
この町(まち)には昔(むかし)の面影(おもかげ)がない。
This town has no traces of its former self.
子供(こども)の頃(ころ)の面影(おもかげ)が残(のこ)っている。
Traces of their childhood appearance remain.
再開発(さいかいはつ)で、かつての下町(したまち)の面影(おもかげ)はすっかり消(き)えてしまった。
Due to redevelopment, all traces of the old downtown have completely disappeared.
古(ふる)いアルバムをめくると、若(わか)かった頃(ころ)の面影(おもかげ)が次々(つぎつぎ)と蘇(よみがえ)ってきた。
As I flipped through the old album, images of how things looked in my younger days came flooding back one after another.
2. image; likeness; features reminiscent of someone
A resemblance to someone, often a family member, visible in appearance or manner.
彼女(かのじょ)には母親(ははおや)の面影(おもかげ)がある。
She has traces of her mother in her features.
写真(しゃしん)の中(なか)の若(わか)い父(ちち)に、今(いま)の自分(じぶん)の面影(おもかげ)を見(み)つけて驚(おどろ)いた。
I was surprised to see a resemblance to my current self in a photo of my father when he was young.
息子(むすこ)の笑顔(えがお)に亡(な)き祖父(そふ)の面影(おもかげ)を感(かん)じることがある。
Sometimes I see traces of my late grandfather in my son's smile.
彼女(かのじょ)の話(はな)し方(かた)には、幼(おさな)い頃(ころ)の面影(おもかげ)が残(のこ)っていて、懐(なつ)かしく思(おも)った。
There were traces of her childhood in the way she spoke, and it made me feel nostalgic.

WORD FORMATION:
面(おも) (face, surface) + 影(かげ) (shadow, image) → the image/memory of a face

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

  • 面影(おもかげ)がある (to have traces/resemblance)
  • 面影(おもかげ)を残(のこ)す (to retain traces)
  • 面影(おもかげ)を偲(しの)ぶ (to reminisce about someone's image)
  • 昔(むかし)の面影(おもかげ) (traces of the past)

NUANCE:
面影(おもかげ) often carries a nostalgic or wistful tone, used when remembering how things used to be or seeing a resemblance to someone from the past.

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 名残(なごり) (traces, remnants) - broader meaning, includes non-visual traces
  • 面影(おもかげ) - specifically visual/appearance-related traces

Related Words

Related: 名残(なごり) (traces)
core
Added 2026.1.18 12:30 · Revised 2026.3.14 11:52
06500/06631_omokage