Japanese word

反省

Pronunciation

Romajihansei

Meaning

  • nounreflection

Example

昨日の失敗を反省します。kinō no ship pai o han sei shi ma su

I reflect on yesterday's failure.

Illustration for 反省 (reflection)

More examples

友達に注意されて、自分の言い方を反省しました。tomo dachi ni chū i sa re te ji bun no i i kata o han sei shi ma shi ta

When my friend pointed out my mistake, I reflected on how I had spoken.

Core concept

Describes honestly examining past actions, especially mistakes, to find a better way to act.

Common phrases

  • 反省するhan sei su ru

    reflect

  • 自分の行動を反省するji bun no kō dō o han sei su ru

    reflect on one's actions

Similar words

後悔kōkai: Sorrow about a past action that one wishes had not happened or had been different.
自省jisei: A review of one's own behavior to recognize faults and improve future conduct.
内省naisei: A close examination of one's own thoughts and feelings.

Definition in Japanese

過去の言動や失敗を振り返り、悪かった点を認めて改めようとすること。ka ko no gen dō ya ship pai o fu ri kae ri waru ka tta ten o mito me te arata me yō to su ru ko to

Word origin

反省 (hansei, "reflection") is formed from 反 (han, "turn back") and 省 (sei, "examine"), giving the word the sense of looking back at one's conduct.

Usage tips

  • A beginner may hear 反省しています (hansei shite imasu) after an apology, where it expresses reflection on a mistake rather than a simple statement of sadness.

Other meanings

  • regretnoun

Word lists with this word