Japanese word

違和感

Pronunciation

Romajiiwakan

Meaning

  • nounstrange feeling

Example

この部屋に入ると違和感があります。ko no heya ni hai ru to i wa kan ga a ri ma su

I get a strange feeling when I enter this room.

Illustration for 違和感 (strange feeling)

More examples

その説明を聞いて、少し違和感を覚えました。so no setsu mei o ki i te suko shi i wa kan o obo e ma shi ta

I felt a little uneasy after hearing that explanation.

Core concept

Refers to the sense that something feels out of place or does not match what is expected.

Common phrases

  • 違和感があるi wa kan ga a ru

    have a strange feeling

  • 違和感を覚えるi wa kan o obo e ru

    feel a sense of discomfort

Similar words

不自然さfushizensa: The quality of seeming unlike what is normal, expected, or natural.
ちぐはぐさchiguhagusa: A lack of harmony between parts that makes something seem mismatched.
異物感ibutsukan: A sense that a foreign object is present or that something does not belong.

Definition in Japanese

物事や周囲の様子などが、普通とは異なって感じられること。mono goto ya shū i no yō su na do ga fu tsū to wa koto na tte kan ji ra re ru ko to

Word origin

違和感 (iwakan) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 違 (i, "difference"), 和 (wa, "harmony"), and 感 (kan, "feeling"), meaning a feeling caused by a lack of harmony.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, 違和感がある (iwakan ga aru) can describe both an odd detail and an uncomfortable physical sensation, so it is broader than English discomfort.

Other meanings

  • discomfortnoun

Word lists with this word