palpitation; pounding; throbbing; thumping
Refers to an unusually strong, fast, or irregular heartbeat, often from exertion, anxiety, or a medical condition. Commonly used in phrases like 動悸がする.
My heart started pounding hard after running.
緊張すると動悸がすることがある。
I sometimes get palpitations when I'm nervous.
動悸 (heart palpitations) sounds similar to 度胸 but refers to a physical racing heartbeat, not courage or nerve.
動悸 is the felt sensation of a pounding or racing heart (a symptom), while 不整脈 is the underlying medical condition of an irregular heartbeat.
動機 (motive) and 動悸 (heart palpitations) share the same pronunciation どうき but refer to entirely different things, one abstract and one physical.
Standard kanji spelling for heart palpitations.
Rarely used kanji form; 動悸 is strongly preferred.
Composed of 動 (movement) and 悸 (throbbing/palpitation). The character 悸 is specifically associated with heart throbbing, making the compound transparent.