感慨(かんがい)

かんがい
noun
deep emotion; strong feeling
formalemotion
1. deep emotion; strong feeling; heartfelt sentiment
A profound emotional response, typically one that arises from reflecting on past events, the passage of time, or life changes. Often tinged with nostalgia or wistfulness.
感慨(かんがい)深(ぶか)い一日(いちにち)だった。
It was a deeply moving day.
卒業式(そつぎょうしき)で感慨(かんがい)に浸(ひた)った。
I was absorbed in deep emotion at the graduation ceremony.
久(ひさ)しぶりに母校(ぼこう)を訪(おとず)れ、様々(さまざま)な感慨(かんがい)が胸(むね)に込(こ)み上(あ)げてきた。
Visiting my alma mater after a long time, various emotions welled up inside me.

A somewhat literary noun describing deep, reflective emotion — not a sudden outburst but a quiet, profound feeling that comes from contemplation or looking back on experiences.

Common collocations

  • 感慨(かんがい)深(ぶか)い: deeply moving, profoundly emotional
  • 感慨(かんがい)に浸(ひた)る: to be absorbed in deep emotion
  • 感慨(かんがい)に耽(ふけ)る: to be lost in deep feeling
  • 感慨(かんがい)を覚(おぼ)える: to feel deep emotion
  • 感慨(かんがい)無量(むりょう): boundless emotion

Similar words

  • 感動(かんどう): being moved or touched — more active and immediate, often triggered by something impressive or beautiful
  • 感傷(かんしょう): sentimentality — more negative, suggesting excessive or self-indulgent emotion
  • 感慨(かんがい): sits between these, describing a reflective, often bittersweet feeling tied to the passage of time

Related Words

Compare: 感動(かんどう) (being moved or touched)
Compare: 感傷(かんしょう) (sentimentality)
general
Added 2026.4.1 1:17 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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