経験
keiken[ke̞ːkẽ̞ɴ]
The English phrase 'experience' translates to Japanese as 経験 (keiken).
経験 is a common and general term used to express 'experience'. It refers specifically to the knowledge, skill or wisdom that has been gathered through past actions. To describe someone who is highly experienced or possesses a wealth of experience, you can use the phrase 経験豊富.
Meaning: the knowledge thus gathered (noun)
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between 経験 (keiken) and 体験 (taiken). While 経験 refers to the accumulated knowledge or skill gained from what one has lived through, 体験 refers to the actual act of undergoing or experiencing a specific event or encounter.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Additionally, the related verbs 経験する, 体験する and 触れる can be used to express the act of observing or undergoing an experience.
How do you pronounce it?
keiken
When do people say it?
When speaking among friends or peers, you might hear the phrase 俺の体験 (ore no taiken), which literally means 'my experience'.
Did you know?
- You might encounter the term 経験値 (keikenchi) in Japanese gaming culture, which translates to 'experience points' (EXP), a concept now frequently used in real-life slang to describe personal growth.
- The word 経験 is composed of two kanji: 経 meaning 'to pass through' and 験 meaning 'test' or 'verify'.
- The phrase 経験を積む (keiken o tsumu) is a common way to say 'to gain experience', but it literally translates to 'to pile up experience' as if the knowledge were physical objects.
Examples in context
- 凄い経験でした。It was a terrific experience.This sentence shows how to use 経験 to describe a terrific experience.Tatoeba #10837031 by minekai, translation #4016002 by CK
- 彼は経験不足だね。He lacks experience.This sentence uses 経験 to express a lack of experience.Tatoeba #107983 by bunbuku, translation #295702 by CK
- 人は経験から学ぶ。People learn from experience.This sentence illustrates the concept of learning from 経験.Tatoeba #144504 by bunbuku, translation #270061 by CK
- 彼女はプログラミングの経験が十年あります。She has ten years of programming experience.
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two coworkers are talking about a difficult project they finished.
- 大翔 Hirotoこのプロジェクトは良い経験になりました。Kono purojekuto wa yoi keiken ni narimashita.This project was a good experience.
- 陽葵 Himariそうですね、大翔さんは成長しましたね。Sou desu ne, Hiroto-san wa seichou shimashita ne.That's true, Hiroto, you have grown.
- 大翔 Hiroto陽葵さんも、大変でしたよね。Himari-san mo, taihen deshita yo ne.It was hard for you too, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himariはい、とても勉強になりました。Hai, totemo benkyou ni narimashita.Yes, I learned a lot from it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “experience” translations and entries 経験, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
