釈しゃく然ぜん

also: せきぜん

しゃ

く

ぜ

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle

fully satisfied; cleared of doubt; convinced

Almost always used in the negative form 釈然としない to express lingering dissatisfaction or doubt after an explanation or apology. The positive form is rare.

Expressions

釈しゃく然ぜんとするbe satisfied; feel convinced

Kanji

釈explanation
然sort of thing, so, if so

Don't confuse with

釈しゃく明めいN1
釈然 (usually in 釈然としない) describes a feeling of being unconvinced or unsatisfied, whereas 釈明 is the act of giving an explanation to clear up doubt, and learners can confuse the two because they share the kanji 釈.

Written forms

釈然Usage100%
- しゃくぜん
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading しゃくぜん is the most common.
- せきぜん
  Rare alternative reading; しゃくぜん is overwhelmingly more common.
せきぜん

Etymology

The kanji 釈 means 'explain' or 'release', and 然 is a suffix meaning 'state' or 'condition'. Together they suggest a state of having been explained or resolved. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is used in classical and modern Japanese to describe a feeling of clarity or satisfaction.