Translation guide
To think, talk, or write about enjoyable past experiences. In Japanese, this is often expressed with verbs meaning 'remember nostalgically', 'talk about old times', or 'look back fondly'.
私たちは学生時代の思い出話をして過ごした。
We sat around reminiscing about our school days.
彼女はよく子供の頃を懐かしむ。
She often reminisces about her childhood.
To have a conversation with others about shared happy memories.
Literally 'to do memory talk'. This is the most natural way to say you are reminiscing with someone about shared past experiences.
昨日、友達と昔の思い出話をして盛り上がった。
Yesterday, I reminisced with a friend about old times and we had a great time.
Idiomatic phrase meaning 'to make old stories bloom', i.e., to have a lively conversation reminiscing about the past.
同窓会で昔話に花を咲かせた。
At the class reunion, we reminisced and had a lively chat about old times.
Literally 'to do nostalgic talk'. Emphasizes the feeling of nostalgia while talking about the past.
祖母と懐かしい話をして楽しかった。
I enjoyed reminiscing with my grandmother.
To privately recall pleasant memories, often with a sense of nostalgia.
General verb for 'recall' or 'remember'. When used about the past with a positive context, it conveys reminiscing.
子供の頃の夏休みをよく思い出す。
I often reminisce about summer vacations from my childhood.
Verb meaning 'to feel nostalgic for' or 'to yearn for the past'. More emotional and literary than 思い出す.
Literally 'to be immersed in memories'. Used when someone is lost in nostalgic thoughts.
アルバムを見ながら思い出に浸った。
I reminisced while looking through the photo album.
Formal/literary word for 'recollection' or 'reminiscence'. Rare in everyday speech.
彼は青春の日々を追憶している。
He is reminiscing about the days of his youth.
To reflect on a long period of time, often with a mix of emotions, in a narrative or reflective way.
Literally 'to look back'. Commonly used for reflecting on one's life or past events.
自分の人生を振り返ると、いろいろなことがあった。
When I reminisce about my life, many things come to mind.
Formal term for 'looking back' or 'retrospection', often used in titles of memoirs or historical reviews.
彼は自伝で自分の半生を回顧している。
In his autobiography, he reminisces about his life.
思い出す is a general verb for remembering, while 懐かしむ specifically implies a fond, nostalgic feeling. Use 懐かしむ when the emotion is central.
昔の歌を聞いて、学生時代を懐かしんだ。
Hearing an old song, I fondly reminisced about my school days.
There is no single Japanese verb that perfectly matches 'reminisce'. Avoid direct translations like 回想する in casual contexts; it sounds stiff. Use phrases like 思い出話をする or 懐かしむ depending on the situation.
彼らは旅行の思い出話をして夜を過ごした。
They spent the evening reminiscing about their trip.
古い写真を見ながら思い出に浸るのが好きだ。
I like to reminisce while looking at old photos.
彼は学生時代を懐かしんでいる。
He is reminiscing about his school days.