Japanese word

回想

Pronunciation

Romajikaisō

Meaning

  • nounrecollection

Example

写真を見ると、子どもの頃を回想します。sha shin o mi ru to ko do mo no koro o kai sō shi ma su

I recall my childhood when I look at photos.

Illustration for 回想 (recollection)

More examples

展示には、地域の人々の回想が収められています。ten ji ni wa chi iki no hito bito no kai sō ga osa me ra re te i ma su

The exhibit contains the recollections of local residents.

Core concept

Describes mentally revisiting past events with sustained attention rather than recalling them only in passing.

Common phrases

  • 回想に浸るkai sō ni hita ru

    immerse oneself in recollections

  • 回想を語るkai sō o kata ru

    share recollections

  • 回想を交えるkai sō o maji e ru

    include recollections

Similar words

思い出omoide: A remembered event or period from one's past experience.
回顧kaiko: A deliberate review of earlier events, history, or activities.
追憶tsuioku: The act of remembering past people, places, or experiences in depth.
懐古kaiko: A look back at an earlier time marked by affection for it.

Definition in Japanese

過去の出来事を心に浮かべ、詳しく思い返すこと。ka ko no de ki goto o kokoro ni u ka be kuwa shi ku omo i kae su ko to

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 回想 (kaisō) joins 回 (kai, "return") with 想 (sō, "thought") to mean returning one's thoughts to the past.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese, 回想 (kaisō) can describe an extended act of looking back on one's life, not merely the sudden return of a single memory.

Other meanings

  • reflectionnoun
  • retrospectionnoun

Related words

  • 回想するkaisōsurureminisceverb
  • 回想的kaisōtekiretrospectivena-adjective

Word lists with this word