1.
reason; rationality; rational judgment
The human faculty of logical thinking and rational judgment, as opposed to emotion or instinct. Often used in contexts where someone maintains or loses their composure.
理性を保つのが難しかった。
It was hard to keep my composure.
怒りで理性を失いそうになった。
I almost lost my reason out of anger.
どんな状況でも理性的に判断することが大切だ。
It's important to make rational judgments in any situation.
USAGE:
Most commonly appears in phrases about maintaining or losing rational control. The contrast between 理性 (reason) and 感情 (emotion) is a frequent pairing in Japanese.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 理性を保つ (maintain reason / stay rational)
- 理性を失う (lose reason / lose composure)
- 理性的 (rational)
- 理性と感情 (reason and emotion)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 知性: intellect — refers to intellectual capacity or intelligence in general
- 感性: sensibility — the ability to perceive and respond to aesthetic or emotional stimuli, contrasts with 理性