Translation guide
Penitence refers to the feeling of regret or sorrow for wrongdoing, often with a desire to make amends. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through words for remorse, repentance, and reflection, with nuances ranging from deep moral regret to formal apology.
Expressing a sincere, often painful, feeling of guilt and sorrow for one's actions, typically with a moral or spiritual dimension.
悔悟 is a formal noun meaning deep remorse or penitence, often used in serious or literary contexts. It implies a realization of one's fault and a turning away from it.
He feels penitence for his mistakes.
悔恨 is a strong, often literary term for remorse or penitence, emphasizing deep regret and sorrow. It is less common in everyday speech.
To be seized by feelings of penitence.
懺悔 originally means religious confession or repentance, especially in Buddhism. It can be used metaphorically for penitence, but it carries a strong religious connotation.
He made a confession/penitence at the church.
Describing the action or state of being penitent, often in a religious or moral context, where one seeks forgiveness or atonement.
悔い改める is a verb meaning to repent or to feel penitence and change one's ways. It is commonly used in religious and moral contexts.
To repent of one's sins.
反省する means to reflect on one's actions with regret, often used in everyday situations. It is less intense than penitence but conveys a sense of remorse and self-examination.
I am reflecting on my actions with penitence.
後悔する means to regret, and while it can overlap with penitence, it often lacks the moral or reformative aspect. It is more about wishing something hadn't happened.
後悔する is a general term for regret and may not fully capture the moral weight of 'penitence'. Use 悔悟 or 悔い改める for deeper remorse.
Conveying penitence in a social or formal context, such as a public apology or statement of regret.
This phrase means 'deeply reflecting/regretting' and is commonly used in formal apologies to express penitence.
I feel deep penitence regarding this matter.
Literally 'apologize from the heart', this phrase conveys sincere remorse and penitence in a formal apology.
I offer my sincere penitence/apology.
悔悟 (kaigo) is a formal, deep remorse with a moral turning point. 反省 (hansei) is everyday reflection on mistakes, often used in apologies. 後悔 (kōkai) is simple regret without necessarily implying change. For 'penitence', 悔悟 or 悔い改める are closest, but 反省 is more common in daily use.
He showed sincere penitence.
Reflect on mistakes and apply the lessons next time.
Repentance comes too late. (proverb)
He regrets his decision.