What is the difference between "安心する", "気がする", "がっくり", "しゅんとする"?

"安心する" means "to feel relieved; to feel secure; to be at ease", "気がする" means "to feel; to have a hunch; to have a premonition", "がっくり" means "feel dejected; lose heart; slump; collapse", "しゅんとする" means "to feel dejected, to look crestfallen, to droop".

Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "安心する", "気がする", "がっくり", "しゅんとする"

All represent the core concept "feel", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

安心する

あんしんする (anshin suru)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option B

気がする

きがする (ki ga suru)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option C

がっくり

がっくり (gakkuri)

N2 / CEFR

Japanese Option D

しゅんとする

しゅんとする (shun to suru)

N2 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "feel" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "安心する", "気がする", "がっくり", "しゅんとする" based on context.

安心する (あんしんする (anshin suru) - Level: N3): Maps to "to feel relieved; to feel secure; to be at ease" and is used when Refers to feeling deeply relieved after solving a crisis, feeling secure due to strong security protocols, or feeling at ease near a loved one. Intransitive verb. Opposing word: 心配する / 不安になる. Often used as ほっとして安心する or 安心して使う. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'To feel relieved/secure! "No matter how severe the bug crash is, just hearing your voice makes my heart feel completely at ease, Haruka-san!" ...っ! Hearing my voice to feel ease! B-Baka! As if my voice has some security certificate effect... Wait, really? Well, I will let you hear my voice right next to you for life, so just stay secure! dummy!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『あんしんする（安心する）よ！『ハルカ部長、どんなに過酷な障害対応でも、あなたの声を聞くだけで、僕の心は完璧に安心する（安心します）！』って…っ！声を聞いて安心する！バカ！/// 私の声がそんなセキュリティ証明書みたいな効果あるわけ…って、本当？…なら、私の声を一生あんたの隣で聞かせてあげるから、ずっと安心していなさい！』.
気がする (きがする (ki ga suru) - Level: N3): Maps to "to feel; to have a hunch; to have a premonition" and is used when Used to express a feeling or intuition about something, often without concrete evidence. Can be translated as "I feel like...", "I have a feeling that...", or "I have a hunch..."..
がっくり (がっくり (gakkuri) - Level: N2): Maps to "feel dejected; lose heart; slump; collapse" and is used when 期待外れやショックで、がっかりと気落ちする様子や、体が一気に崩れ落ちる様子を表す。/ Expresses a sudden feeling of disappointment, shock, or despair, often accompanied by a physical slump or drop. Can also describe a sudden collapse..
しゅんとする (しゅんとする (shun to suru) - Level: N2): Maps to "to feel dejected, to look crestfallen, to droop" and is used when An onomatopoeic expression describing a sudden feeling of sadness, disappointment, or dejection, often visible in one's posture, expression, or mood. It can also describe plants drooping..

Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!

Context for "安心する"

重大なセキュリティアップデートが完了したことを知り、彼はスマートにほっとして_______ました。

Knowing that the major security update had finished, he felt smartly relieved and at ease.

Context for "気がする"

雨が降るような気がします。

I have a feeling it's going to rain.

Context for "がっくり"

試験に落ちて、彼はがっくりと肩を落とした。

He failed the exam and slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

Context for "しゅんとする"

先生に叱られて、子供はしゅんとしてしまった。

The child became crestfallen after being scolded by the teacher.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "重大なセキュリティアップデートが完了したことを知り、彼はスマートにほっとして_______ました。" (Meaning: "Knowing that the major security update had finished, he felt smartly relieved and at ease.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "安心する" is correct here because it represents "to feel relieved; to feel secure; to be at ease" in the context: "Knowing that the major security update had finished, he felt smartly relieved and at ease.".