懐なつかしい

な

つ

か

し

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Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

懐かしい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	懐なつかしい	懐なつかしくない
Polite	懐なつかしいです	懐なつかしくないですalso 懐なつかしくありません
Past polite	懐なつかしかったです	懐なつかしくなかったですalso 懐なつかしくありませんでした
Past	懐なつかしかった	懐なつかしくなかった
Te-form	懐なつかしくて	懐なつかしくなくて
Adverbial	懐なつかしく
Conditional	懐なつかしければ	懐なつかしくなければ
Tara conditional	懐なつかしかったら	懐なつかしくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

nostalgic; dear; fondly remembered

Expresses a warm, sentimental feeling when recalling something from the past, such as a place, person, memory, or object. Often used when encountering something that brings back fond memories.

子こ供どもの頃ころよく遊あそんだ公こう園えんが懐なつかしい。
The park where I often played as a child brings back fond memories.
この曲きょくを聞きくと学がく生せい時じ代だいが懐なつかしく思おもい出だされる。
This song reminds me nostalgically of my school days.
久ひさしぶりに故ふる郷さとの味あじを食たべて、とても懐なつかしかった。
Eating the taste of my hometown after a long time made me feel very nostalgic.

See all 122 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉が懐なつかしいto feel nostalgic about a place
この学がっ校こうが懐なつかしい。
This school brings back fond memories.
〈物もの〉を見みて懐なつかしくなるto feel a wave of nostalgia upon seeing something
古ふるい写しゃ真しんを見みて懐なつかしくなった。
Seeing the old photo made me feel nostalgic.
懐なつかしい〈事こと〉a fondly remembered thing, such as a memory or story
懐なつかしい思おもい出でがたくさんある。
I have a lot of fond memories.
〈人ひと〉との〈事こと〉が懐なつかしいto feel nostalgic about a shared memory or experience with someone
友とも達だちとの学がく生せい時じ代だいが懐なつかしい。
I feel nostalgic about my student days with my friends.

Expressions

懐なつかしのメロディnostalgic song; golden oldie

Kanji

懐feelings, heart, yearn

Related words

懐かい古こ
懐かしい is the common adjective for feeling nostalgic about something, while 懐古 is a more formal, literary noun for reminiscence, often seen in compounds like 懐古趣味.
ノスタルジック
懐かしい is the everyday native word for feeling nostalgic, whereas ノスタルジック is a loanword with a slightly more stylish or literary flavor.
恋こいしいN2
懐かしい expresses nostalgic, fond memory of something in the past, while 恋しい expresses an active longing for someone or something currently absent.
郷きょう愁しゅうN1
懐かしい is the everyday adjective for feeling nostalgic about something, while 郷愁 is a more formal noun describing the emotion itself.
レトロ
懐かしい is a native Japanese adjective expressing a personal feeling of missing the past, whereas レトロ is a loanword describing something's old-fashioned style.

Don't confuse with

なつくN1
懐かしい is an adjective meaning 'nostalgic' or 'dear' about a memory, while 懐く is a verb meaning to become attached to a person or animal; they share the kanji 懐 but differ in meaning and part of speech.

Word family

懐なつかしむ
yearn for; miss; feel nostalgic about
懐なつかし
nostalgic; dear; good old; longed-for
人ひと懐なつかしい
lonesome for; missing people
懐なつかしがる
show nostalgia for; long for; reminisce fondly about
昔むかし懐なつかしい
reminiscent of the good old days; nostalgia-inducing

Written forms

懐なつかしいUsage77%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
なつかしいUsage23%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing, children's materials, and when the kanji is considered difficult.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 懐く (なつく, 'to become attached to') with the adjectival suffix しい, originally meaning 'dear' or 'longed for.' The kanji 懐 carries the sense of 'bosom' or 'heart,' reflecting the emotional attachment.