What is the difference between "感じる", "がっくり", "身につまされる", "落ち込む"?

"感じる" means "to feel, to sense", "がっくり" means "feel dejected; lose heart; slump; collapse", "身につまされる" means "to feel for someone, to sympathize deeply, to be touched to the quick (because one's own situation is similar)", "落ち込む" means "to feel down, be depressed".

Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "感じる", "がっくり", "身につまされる", "落ち込む"

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

Japanese Option A

感じる

かんじる (kanjiru)

N4 / CEFR

Japanese Option B

がっくり

がっくり (gakkuri)

N2 / CEFR

Japanese Option C

身につまされる

みにつまされる (mi ni tsumasareru)

N2 / CEFR

Japanese Option D

落ち込む

おちこむ (ochikomu)

B2 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "feel" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "感じる", "がっくり", "身につまされる", "落ち込む" based on context.

感じる (かんじる (kanjiru) - Level: N4): Maps to "to feel, to sense" and is used when 感情や感覚、ある印象などを心や体でとらえること。他動詞。/ To perceive emotions, sensations, or impressions with one's mind or body. Transitive verb..
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..
身につまされる (みにつまされる (mi ni tsumasareru) - Level: N2): Maps to "to feel for someone, to sympathize deeply, to be touched to the quick (because one's own situation is similar)" and is used when Expresses deep empathy where one feels another's suffering or situation as if it were their own, often due to similar past experiences or current circumstances..
落ち込む (おちこむ (ochikomu) - Level: B2): Maps to "to feel down, be depressed" and is used when Essential structural term in CEFR B2 vocabulary syllabus..

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

Context for "感じる"

寒さを感じます。

I feel cold.

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 "身につまされる"

彼の苦労話を聞いて、私自身の経験と重なり身につまされた。

Hearing about his hardships, I was deeply sympathetic as it overlapped with my own experiences.

Context for "落ち込む"

毎日、日本語を練習するために落ち込む。

Every day, I feel down, be depressed to practice Japanese.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "寒さを感じます。" (Meaning: "I feel cold.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "感じる" is correct here because it represents "to feel, to sense" in the context: "I feel cold.".