懐かしい – Does Natsukashii mean Nostalgic?
Today I would like to talk about to oddly similar sounding words. One is from Japanese and one is from English. They are of course 懐かしい in Japanese and Nostalgic in English. Though these two words look similar, (Natsukashii would be the word in roman text), they are not from the same origin. This probably is not a big surprise but they have very similar meanings in both languages.
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What does 懐かしい mean?
懐かしい is a Japanese adjective.
This adjective refers to getting good vibes from remembering something from the past or feeling like you are back in that time. Basically, feeling nostalgic for something, right? Sort of.
https://japaneseuniverse.com/2024/02/18/pac-man-in-japaneseconcepts-behind-development-to-global-icon/What is the Difference between Nostalgic and 懐かしい
Nostalgic and 懐かしい basically refer to the same basic idea. Having found thoughts of the past. The difference though is that nostalgic has more of a retro feel to its meaning which is not in 懐かしい. For example, in English, you may refer to shows from the 80s or 90s as nostalgic. you may remember watching these shows but the word nostalgic comes with a slightly retro feeling of that period in time. So, the feeling is more focused on that period in time than on your own experience. Even if your own experience is part of it.
懐かしい on the other hand has more of a focus on your own experience. If you say 懐かしい about something it feels more like you are talking about a more personal experience. It does not have to be something you were very highly involved in. It could be just an old commercial that you remember or so on. This is unlike the word nostalgic where the personal connection is not as strong.
