Translation guide
The English word "affect" can be expressed in Japanese through various verbs and phrases depending on whether you mean to influence something, to have an emotional impact, to pretend, or to cause a change. This guide organizes the most common and natural Japanese expressions by these core meanings.
To produce a change in something or someone, often in a neutral or objective sense.
The most direct and common translation for 'affect' in the sense of influencing or having an effect on something. Used in both formal and everyday contexts.
天気は気分に影響する。
The weather affects your mood.
That decision will affect the entire company.
A slightly more formal or explicit way to say 'have an influence on'. Often used when the subject is a person or an event.
彼の言葉は私に大きな影響を与えた。
His words affected me greatly.
Used mainly in scientific or technical contexts to describe how one thing acts on another, like a chemical or physical effect.
この薬は神経に作用する。
This medicine affects the nerves.
To move someone emotionally, to touch their feelings, often in a deep or personal way.
Means to move someone emotionally, to impress or touch their heart. Often used for positive experiences like art, stories, or kind acts.
その映画は多くの人を感動させた。
The movie affected many people (emotionally).
Literally 'to move one's heart', a natural phrase for being emotionally affected or touched.
彼のスピーチは聴衆の心を動かした。
His speech affected the audience deeply.
Means to resonate or strike a chord emotionally. Often used when words or music have a profound personal effect.
To behave in an artificial way, to feign an emotion, accent, or mannerism.
The most common way to say 'pretend to be/do'. Attach to a noun or verb plain form.
彼は病気のふりをした。
He affected illness.
彼女は驚いたふりをした。
She affected surprise.
To put on airs, to act in an affected or pretentious manner. Often negative.
彼はいつも気取っている。
He always affects a sophisticated manner.
To feign or pretend, often used in literary or formal contexts. Can also mean to dress up.
To bring about a change, often in a specific domain like health, economy, or environment.
Used in the pattern 影響を及ぼす (to exert an influence) or directly with an object. Common in formal writing.
喫煙は健康に悪影響を及ぼす。
Smoking adversely affects health.
To bring about or cause a change, often used for results or consequences.
In English, 'affect' is usually a verb and 'effect' is usually a noun. In Japanese, both concepts are often covered by 影響 (えいきょう). Pay attention to whether you need a verb (影響する) or a noun (影響).
影響する is for objective influence or effect. 感動させる is specifically for emotional impact. Using 影響する for emotional situations can sound cold or technical.
Those words really affected me.
平静を装った。
She affected calmness.
その政策は大きな変化をもたらした。
The policy affected major changes.