Japanese Conversation · Level 100
60 words
Japanese word
良心
Pronunciation
Romajiryōshin
Meaning
- nounconscience
Example
私は良心に従います。watashi wa ryō shin ni shitaga i ma su
I follow my conscience.
More examples
人をだますような行為を、良心が許しません。hito o da ma su yō na kō i o ryō shin ga yuru shi ma se n
My conscience will not allow me to deceive people.
Core concept
Describes the inner moral judgment that shapes a person's choices and reacts when the person acts wrongly.
Common phrases
良心を持つryō shin o mo tsu
have a conscience
良心を裏切るryō shin o ura gi ru
betray one's conscience
良心に訴えるryō shin ni utta e ru
appeal to one's conscience
Similar words
道徳心dōtokushin: A sense of moral duty that encourages a person to act according to moral standards.
Definition in Japanese
人の行いの善悪を判断し、正しく行動しようとさせる心。hito no okona i no zen aku o han dan shi masa shi ku kō dō shi yō to sa se ru kokoro
Word origin
良心 (ryōshin) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 良 (ryō, "good") and 心 (shin, "heart; mind"), so its form joins goodness with the mind.
Usage tips
- Unlike embarrassment, conscience concerns whether an action is morally right, even when nobody else knows what happened.
Related words
- 良心的ryōshintekiconscientiousna-adjective