Translation guide
Empathy in Japanese is expressed through several words and phrases that distinguish between intellectual understanding of another's feelings, emotional sharing, and compassionate action. The most common term is 共感, but context and nuance matter greatly.
To express that you emotionally share or resonate with someone's feelings, as if you feel them yourself.
The most common and versatile word for empathy. It implies sharing and understanding another's emotions. Often used with する to mean 'to empathize'.
彼の話に共感した。
I empathized with his story.
共感できる映画だった。
It was a movie I could empathize with.
Literally 'I understand your feelings.' A natural, everyday way to express empathy without sounding overly formal.
その気持ち、よくわかるよ。
I totally understand that feeling.
Refers to projecting oneself into another's feelings, often used in contexts like acting or reading. Slightly more technical.
彼女は役に感情移入するのが上手だ。
She is good at empathizing with her role.
To express that you intellectually understand someone's situation or point of view, without necessarily sharing the emotion.
Means 'to understand someone's position/circumstances.' Focuses on cognitive understanding rather than emotional sharing.
彼の立場を理解しようと努めた。
I tried to understand his position.
Literally 'to think as if in someone's body.' Means to put yourself in their shoes and consider their perspective.
相手の身になって考えてみて。
Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes.
To express a caring response that goes beyond understanding to include a desire to alleviate suffering.
Compassionate consideration and thoughtfulness. Implies empathy that leads to kind actions. A highly valued trait in Japanese culture.
彼女は思いやりのある人だ。
She is a compassionate person.
思いやりを持って接する。
To interact with compassion.
Sympathy or pity. Often implies feeling sorry for someone, which can sometimes carry a nuance of looking down. Use carefully.
同情 can sound condescending if not used carefully. 共感 or 思いやり are safer for expressing empathy.
To show empathy in conversation by acknowledging the other person's emotions, often as a listening skill.
In Japanese communication, empathy is often shown through backchannels and empathetic responses rather than direct statements. Phrases like そうですか (is that so?) or 大変でしたね (that must have been tough) convey understanding.
そうですか、それは大変でしたね。
I see, that must have been tough.
Literally 'to show empathy.' Used when describing the act of demonstrating empathy in communication.
カウンセラーはクライアントに共感を示した。
The counselor showed empathy to the client.
共感 (empathy) is about sharing feelings, while 同情 (sympathy) is about feeling pity. 共感 is generally more positive and equal, whereas 同情 can imply a superior position. For most situations, 共感 is preferred.
Japanese culture often values indirect expressions of empathy. Instead of saying 'I empathize with you,' it's common to use phrases that acknowledge the situation, like 大変ですね (it's tough, isn't it?) or わかります (I understand). Overt declarations of empathy can sometimes feel intrusive.
彼に同情する。
I feel sympathy for him.