Translation guide
The English verb 'imagine' covers a range of mental activities: forming a mental image, supposing something, or mistakenly believing something. In Japanese, different expressions are used depending on the nuance. This guide helps learners choose the most natural option.
Imagine a big house.
I can't imagine life without you.
To visualize something in your mind, often creatively or vividly.
The most common and general verb for 'imagine'. Used for forming mental images, whether realistic or fanciful.
Try to imagine your future self.
I can imagine her surprised face.
Loanword from English. Common in casual speech and business contexts. Often implies a concrete or visual image.
Try to imagine the finished picture.
To assume or guess that something is true, often without proof.
Also used for supposition. Often in phrases like 想像がつく (can imagine/guess).
To think something is true when it is not; often used in negative imperatives like 'don't imagine that...'.
In negative commands or warnings, simply using ～と思うな / ～と思わないで is natural. The 'mistaken belief' nuance comes from context.
To say 'imagine if...' or 'just imagine' to present a hypothetical situation.
Direct translation of 'just imagine'. Casual and common.
想像する is the standard word for 'imagine' in most contexts. イメージする is a loanword that feels slightly more concrete or visual, and is very common in casual conversation and business (e.g., イメージが湧く 'to get an image/idea'). However, in formal writing, 想像する is preferred.
Let's share our image of the new project.
English 'I imagine' is often just a polite hedge meaning 'I think'. In Japanese, using 想像する in such cases can sound too literal or heavy. Use ～と思う or ～だろう instead.
Literally 'float to mind'. Emphasizes the act of bringing an image to mind, often intentionally.
Please imagine a seaside scene.
I can imagine he would get angry.
I can imagine the result.
A natural way to say 'I imagine that...' when making a conjecture. Less formal than 想像する.
I imagine he has already arrived.
More formal, meaning 'infer' or 'guess'. Used when deducing from evidence.
Imagine future trends from the data.
Don't imagine he'll forgive you easily.
Means to be under the mistaken impression that...; to assume something wrongly.
She imagines she is right.
Means to have an illusion or misperception. Stronger than 思い込む, often for sensory or psychological illusions.
He imagined he saw a ghost.
Just imagine, what if you could fly?
Often 'imagine' is not directly translated; the conditional ～としたら (if it were the case that...) suffices.
Imagine you won the lottery, what would you buy?
I imagine he won't come.