What does it mean word for word?
The word 同感 (dōkan) is composed of 同 (same) and 感 (feeling/impression), literally meaning "same feeling".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
同感です is a polite form suitable for most social and professional situations. You can make the phrase informal and suitable for use with friends or peers by dropping the です to say just 同感. Other informal ways to express agreement include そうだね (yeah, that's right), その通りだよ (that's right) and そう思うよ (I think so/I feel the same way). For formal situations, you might also use まったくです to mean "exactly", 賛成です to show formal agreement or その通りです to say "that's correct".
How does it change in a sentence?
The informal phrase そうだね uses the casual copula だ instead of the polite です. In the phrase そうですね, sou means "that's right" or "so" and ne is a particle that emphasizes agreement.
How do you pronounce it?
dōkan desu
Did you know?
- While 同感です expresses agreement, many Japanese speakers avoid direct disagreement even when they do not agree. Instead of saying 'I disagree', people often use indirect phrases to maintain harmony, often leaving the 'agreement' part unsaid to avoid conflict.
- In highly formal settings, simply nodding and saying はい (hai) can function as a way to show you are following the conversation, even if you have not yet fully formed an agreement. This 'listening agreement' is a key part of Japanese communication.
- The character 同 in 同感 is also used in the word 同級生 (dōkyūsei) to describe classmates who are in the 'same grade'.
Examples in context
- 全く同感です。I agree with you absolutely.This example shows how to express absolute agreement using 同感です.Tatoeba #140886 by wakatyann630, translation #321772 by CK
- その点につきましては、あなたのご意見に全くもって同感です。In that respect, I agree with you completely.This example shows how to express complete agreement regarding a specific point using 同感です.Tatoeba #10105094 by MsFixer, translation #44851 by CK
- 同感です。I agree with you.This is a simple way to say you agree using 同感です.Tatoeba #123688 by wakatyann630, translation #257058 by CK
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing a new office policy during a break.
- 大翔 Hiroto新しいルールは少し厳しすぎると思います。Atarashii ruuru wa sukoshi kibishisugiru to omoimasu.I think the new rules are a little too strict.
- 陽葵 Himari私も同感です。Watashi mo doukan desu.I agree with you.
- 大翔 Hirotoもっと柔軟な方がいいですよね。Motto juunan na hou ga ii desu yo ne.It would be better to be more flexible, wouldn't it?
- 陽葵 Himari本当にそうですね。Hontou ni sou desu ne.It really is.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
