JLPT N4Spoken, casualVague on purpose

って感かんじkind of; it's like…

You sum something up loosely: not exactly what it is, but what it is like. English says "kind of", "it's like…" or "basically".

部屋全体へやぜんたいが白しろくて、ちょっとホテルって感かんじだね。

The whole room's white. It's kind of like a hotel, isn't it?

「え、もう終おわり？」って感かんじだった。

I was like, "What, it's over already?"

How to form it

Word or plain sentence + って感かんじ

ホテルって感かんじ, 帰かえるって感かんじ. It can end the sentence as it is, or go on with だ, だった, かな, だね or です. A little more carefully, という感かんじ.

Before it: A noun, an adjective, a plain sentence, or words that went through your head.
Who says it: Anyone, in casual talk. Younger people say it more.
The tone: Loose on purpose. It keeps you from sounding too exact or too sure.
Where you'll meet it: Talk among friends, messages, social media, street interviews on TV. In a report, an essay or a job interview it sounds vague.

In use

今日きょうの会かい議ぎは、ほぼ顔かお合あわせって感かんじだった。

Today's meeting was basically just a meet-and-greet.

あの人ひとは静しずかだけど、必ひつ要ようなときは頼たよれるって感かんじ。

She's quiet, but she seems like someone you can count on when it matters.

結けっ局きょく、全ぜん員いんの予よ定ていが合あわなくて、旅りょ行こうは来らい月げつに延えん期きになったって感かんじ。

In the end, we couldn't find a date that worked for everyone, so basically the trip got pushed back to next month.

Wrapping up a story: "so basically…".

仕し事ごとが終おわってから少すこし飲のんで、十じゅう時じには帰かえるって感かんじかな。

I'm thinking I'll have a quick drink after work and head home by ten.

Two things to know

感かんじ is an impression

Here 感かんじ is how something strikes you: its look, its type, its gist. So English reaches for "kind of" or "basically" more often than "I feel".

I was like…

With what you thought or nearly said in front of it, it reports your reaction.

もう無む理りって感かんじ。

I'm like, I can't take any more.

感かんじ without って

いい感かんじnice; looking good

その髪かみ型がた、いい感かんじだね。

That haircut looks good.

そんな感かんじsomething like that

うん、まあそんな感かんじ。

Yeah, something like that.

どんな感かんじwhat's it like?

新あたらしい仕し事ごと、どんな感かんじ？

What's the new job like?

Close neighbours

みたいN4

Says what something resembles. って感かんじ is looser: it has that sort of feel.

このソファ、雲くもみたい。

This sofa is like a cloud.

っぽいN3

Stuck onto a word, "-ish": it has something of that quality.

彼かれは少すこし子こ供どもっぽいところがある。

He can be a little childish.

ような気きがするN3

A hunch that something is so, not a description of it.

どこかでこの曲きょくを聞きいたような気きがする。

I have a feeling I've heard this song somewhere before.

ってN5

The って inside it: the spoken と that marks what someone said or thought.

兄あには明日あした帰かえるって言いってた。

My older brother said he would come home tomorrow.

Check yourself

1Where does って感かんじ belong?

Choose an answer to see why.

2What does this mean?

「え、うそでしょ？」って感かんじだった。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

彼かれは前まえに出でるより、みんなを後うしろから支ささえるって感かんじ。

He's less the type to take the lead and more the type who backs everyone up from behind.

このバッグ、見みた目めは小ちいさいけど意い外がいと入はいるって感かんじ。

This bag looks small, but it kind of holds more than you'd think.

雨あめは強つよくなくて、ずっと細こまかく降ふってるって感かんじ。

The rain isn't heavy; it's more like a fine drizzle that keeps falling.

窓まどが大おおきくて、全ぜん体たいに明あかるくて開かい放ほう的てきって感かんじ。

The windows are big, and the whole place feels bright and open.

A

この集あつまり、みんなで気き軽がるに話はなすって感かんじだね。

So this get-together is basically for everyone to chat, right?

B

うん、堅かたい会かい議ぎじゃないね。

Yeah, it's not a formal meeting.