Translation guide
The English verb 'feel' covers physical sensations, emotions, opinions, and intuitive guesses. Japanese uses different verbs and expressions depending on what is being felt. This guide organizes the most common meanings for learners.
Describing what you sense through touch or how your body feels.
General verb for sensing something physically or emotionally. Often used with を.
I feel coldness in my hand.
Used with nouns for sensations (smell, taste, sound, feeling). Very natural for bodily sensations.
To touch (actively). Use when you want to feel something by touching it.
Describes the texture or feel of something when touched. Often used with adjectives like いい (good) or 悪い (bad).
This sweater feels nice to the touch.
Expressing how you feel emotionally or your current mood.
Expressing what you think or believe about something.
The most common way to say 'I feel (that)...' when giving an opinion. Use 〜と思う.
Expressing a gut feeling or prediction without solid evidence.
Expressing that you want to do something or feel like doing it.
Attach to verb stem to express 'want to do'. This is the most direct way to say 'I feel like doing'.
I feel like watching a movie.
Expressing that you understand or share someone's feelings.
Literally 'understand the feeling'. Very common for 'I feel you' or 'I know how you feel'.
English uses 'feel' in many idiomatic ways that don't map to a single Japanese verb. For example, 'I feel hot' is 暑い (atsui) not 暑さを感じる, and 'I feel sick' is 気分が悪い (kibun ga warui). Often, Japanese uses adjectives or noun+がする constructions instead of a verb for 'feel'.
I felt pain.
I feel nauseous.
Feel this cloth. It's really soft.
I feel good today.
I feel sad.
Used to express a more reflective or thoughtful feeling. Often follows a clause.
I felt encouraged by his words.
Often used for 'feel' when expressing an opinion or thought, but can overlap with emotional feelings in casual speech.
I feel lonely.
I feel that he is right.
I feel this plan won't work.
Expresses a hunch or intuitive feeling. Softer than 思う.
I feel like I'm forgetting something.
Can be used for opinions when emphasizing a sensory or emotional impression.
I feel something off about his attitude.
I have a feeling he won't come.
Adds a nuance of 'it seems like' or 'I kind of feel that'. Slightly more tentative.
I feel like I've met you somewhere before.
Noun meaning 'intuition' or 'sixth sense'. Used in phrases like 勘が働く (intuition works) or 勘で (by intuition).
My woman's intuition was right.
Used with nouns or verb phrases to say you're in the mood for something.
I feel like going to karaoke today.
Expresses that something has caught your interest or you feel drawn to it. 'Feel like' in the sense of being curious.
I feel curious about that shop. / That shop caught my eye.
I feel you. / I understand how you feel.
To empathize or sympathize. More formal than 気持ちがわかる.
I felt for him. / I empathized with his story.
I feel sick.
感じる (kanjiru) is for direct sensory or emotional perception, while 気がする (ki ga suru) is for intuitive hunches or vague feelings. Use 感じる when you physically feel something; use 気がする when you have a feeling that something is the case.