1.
sense of physical distance; spatial awareness
The ability to perceive or judge physical distance accurately.
距離感がつかめない。
I can't get a sense of the distance.
運転するときは距離感が大切だ。
A sense of distance is important when driving.
夜は距離感がつかみにくいので注意が必要だ。
It's hard to judge distances at night, so caution is needed.
2.
sense of interpersonal distance; emotional closeness or distance
The perceived emotional or social distance between people in a relationship.
適度な距離感を保つ。
To maintain an appropriate distance.
同僚との距離感が難しい。
It's hard to know the right distance with colleagues.
初対面の人との距離感をうまくとるのは日本では特に大事だ。
Knowing how to maintain the right distance with people you've just met is especially important in Japan.
Composed of 距離 (distance) + 感 (sense, feeling). Used both for physical spatial awareness and for the emotional/social spacing between people.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 距離感をつかむ: to get a sense of distance
- 距離感を保つ: to maintain distance
- 距離感がある: to feel a sense of distance (emotional)
- 適度な距離感: appropriate distance
- 距離感が近い: to be emotionally close
USAGE:
The interpersonal sense (sense 2) is very common in everyday Japanese. Japanese culture places particular importance on maintaining appropriate social distance, so this word appears frequently in discussions about workplace relationships, friendships, and family dynamics.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 間合い: spacing — more physical or martial arts-related; 距離感 is broader and often psychological
- 距離を置く: to distance oneself — describes a deliberate action, while 距離感 describes the perceived state