1.
reminiscent, evocative, suggestive of
Something that strongly calls to mind or vividly evokes an image of something else. Almost always used in the pattern 〜を彷彿とさせる (to be reminiscent of) or 〜を彷彿させる.
昭和の雰囲気を彷彿とさせる街並み。
A streetscape reminiscent of the Showa era.
その演技は若き日の父を彷彿とさせた。
That performance was reminiscent of his father in his younger days.
古代ローマを彷彿とさせる壮大な建築が観光客を魅了している。
The grand architecture, reminiscent of ancient Rome, captivates tourists.
彷彿 means to vividly evoke or call to mind something else. It is almost never used as a standalone word — it appears in fixed patterns.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 〜を彷彿とさせる: to be reminiscent of ~, to evoke ~ (most common)
- 〜を彷彿させる: slightly less formal variant of the above
EXAMPLES OF USE:
- 昭和を彷彿とさせる: reminiscent of the Showa era
- 若き日を彷彿とさせる: evocative of one's younger days
REGISTER:
A literary, written expression. Common in reviews, essays, and descriptive journalism. Not typically used in casual speech — 思い出させる (to remind of) or 〜みたいだ (like ~) are more natural alternatives in conversation.
WRITING:
The kanji 彷彿 are rarely used outside this word. Sometimes written in hiragana as ほうふつ.