Translation guide
The English word 'impulse' covers several related ideas: a sudden urge to act, a driving force, and a technical term in physics. This guide helps learners express these concepts naturally in Japanese.
衝動買いをした。
I bought it on impulse.
彼は衝動的に行動した。
He acted on impulse.
Express a spontaneous desire or compulsion to do something, often without thinking.
I bought it on impulse. · He has a tendency to act on impulse. · She felt an impulse to run away.
The most direct and common translation for a sudden, often irrational urge. Used in phrases like 'on impulse' or 'impulse buying'.
衝動買いをしてしまった。
I made an impulse purchase.
彼は怒りの衝動を抑えられなかった。
He couldn't control his impulse to get angry.
An adverb meaning 'unintentionally' or 'without thinking', often used to describe acting on impulse. It implies a lack of conscious control.
つい食べ過ぎてしまった。
I ended up eating too much (on impulse).
つい嘘をついてしまった。
I impulsively told a lie.
Means 'involuntarily' or 'without thinking', often used when an action is a reflexive response to a stimulus. Similar to 'つい' but emphasizes the spontaneity.
思わず叫んでしまった。
I screamed involuntarily (on impulse).
Adverbial form meaning 'impulsively'. Used to describe actions done on a whim.
彼は衝動的に旅行に出かけた。
He impulsively went on a trip.
Refer to an internal force that propels someone to act, often in a creative or productive context.
Can also be used for a strong inner drive, especially in psychological or artistic contexts.
創作衝動に駆られて絵を描き始めた。
Driven by a creative impulse, I started painting.
In Freudian psychology, 'impulse' is often translated as 衝動, referring to primal drives.
Means 'motive' or 'motivation'. It is less about sudden urges and more about the reason behind an action.
The technical term in physics for the integral of force over time, equal to change in momentum.
The standard physics term for impulse. Literally 'force accumulation'.
力積は運動量の変化に等しい。
Impulse equals the change in momentum.
Loanword from English, used in some technical contexts like signal processing or electronics, but less common in classical mechanics.
The electrical signal transmitted along a nerve fiber.
The standard term combining 'nerve' and the loanword 'impulse'.
神経インパルスがシナプスを伝わる。
The nerve impulse travels across the synapse.
In physiology, 'excitation' can sometimes be used to refer to the impulse, but it's less precise.
While 衝動 is the most common translation, it often carries a nuance of irrationality or lack of control. For a more neutral 'urge' or 'inclination', consider words like 気持ち (feeling) or 欲求 (desire).
彼は突然、海を見たい気持ちになった。
He suddenly felt an impulse to see the ocean.
衝動 is a noun for the urge itself. つい and 思わず are adverbs describing actions done without thinking. つい often implies a bad habit or something you know you shouldn't do, while 思わず is a more neutral involuntary reaction.
笑いたい衝動を抑えた。
I resisted the impulse to laugh.
衝動的に彼女に電話することにした。
On an impulse, I decided to call her.
フロイトは人間の行動を無意識の衝動で説明した。
Freud explained human behavior through unconscious impulses.
What was the impulse behind his actions?
インパルス応答を測定する。
Measure the impulse response.
神経の興奮が伝導する。
The nerve impulse is conducted.