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無力感

むりょくかん

sense of helplessness, powerlessness

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. 何もできず無力感に襲われた。

    なにもできずむりょくかんにおそわれた。

    I was overcome by a sense of helplessness at being unable to do anything.

  2. 強い無力感を覚えた。

    つよいむりょくかんをおぼえた。

    I felt a strong sense of powerlessness.

  3. 災害の現場で、自分の無力感を痛いほど感じた。

    さいがいのげんばで、じぶんのむりょくかんをいたいほどかんじた。

    At the disaster site, I felt my own helplessness painfully.

Common patterns

無力感に襲われる
to be overcome by helplessness
無力感を覚える
to feel powerless
無力感が残る
for a sense of helplessness to linger

Memory tip

無力 'powerless' plus 感 'feeling'. It names the specific sting of watching something bad happen that you cannot change — not general sadness, which is 悲しみ.

Kanji in this word

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What does 無力感 mean?