What is the difference between "気がする", "しゅんとする", "痛感", "落ち込む"?

"気がする" means "to feel; to have a hunch; to have a premonition", "しゅんとする" means "to feel dejected, to look crestfallen, to droop", "痛感" means "Feel keenly; keenly realize; acutely feel", "落ち込む" means "to feel down, be depressed".

Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "気がする", "しゅんとする", "痛感", "落ち込む"

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

Japanese Option A

気がする

きがする (ki ga suru)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option B

しゅんとする

しゅんとする (shun to suru)

N2 / CEFR

Japanese Option C

痛感

つうかん (tsūkan)

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 "気がする", "しゅんとする", "痛感", "落ち込む" based on context.

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..."..
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..
痛感 (つうかん (tsūkan) - Level: N2): Maps to "Feel keenly; keenly realize; acutely feel" and is used when Often used when one strongly feels regret, responsibility, or the seriousness of a situation, usually after a negative experience or realization. Can be used for positive things too, but less common..
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 "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 "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.

Context for "痛感"

自分の不注意が招いた結果を痛感した。

I keenly felt the consequences brought about by my own carelessness.

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: "雨が降るような気がします。" (Meaning: "I have a feeling it's going to rain.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "気がする" is correct here because it represents "to feel; to have a hunch; to have a premonition" in the context: "I have a feeling it's going to rain.".