私情（しじょう、shijou）
- personal feeling

The Japanese word 私情, read as しじょう (shijou), refers to "personal feelings," "private emotions," or "personal considerations." It implies subjectivity and the influence of one's individual perspective, biases, or sentiments, especially when they might affect judgment or decision-making. It highlights matters that are personal, subjective, and possibly self-interested, contrasting with objectivity, impartiality, or public duty. The word often carries a negative connotation when these 私情 cloud one's professional or public responsibilities.

⚫︎ 私情を挟む。 Translation: To be influenced by personal feelings. ⚫︎ 私情で判断する。 Translation: To judge based on personal feelings. ⚫︎ 私情に左右される。 Translation: To be swayed by personal feelings.

This word is used when discussing situations where personal feelings or biases are involved, potentially affecting judgment or actions. It's often employed in contexts such as: ⚫︎ Discussions of fairness and impartiality (e.g., in a workplace, legal settings, or public service). ⚫︎ Criticizing decisions or behaviors where personal relationships or preferences seem to have influenced the outcome. ⚫︎ Analyzing someone's motivations or underlying biases. It's important to note the nuance; while 私情 itself is neutral, its use often implies a concern about fairness or the appropriate balance between personal and professional considerations.

私情 is typically written in kanji as 私情 and is read as しじょう. It is generally not written in hiragana or katakana except for beginner-level text or when emphasizing the pronunciation. There are no variations in the okurigana (suffix hiragana).

⚫︎ 個人的な感情 (kojin-teki na kanjou): Personal feelings, individual emotions. ⚫︎ 感情 (kanjou): Emotions, feelings. ⚫︎ 思い入れ (omoire): Attachment, fondness. ⚫︎ 偏見 (henken): Prejudice, bias.

⚫︎ 公正 (kousei): Fairness, impartiality. ⚫︎ 客観的 (kyakkan-teki): Objective. ⚫︎ 公平 (kouhei): Fairness, equity.

彼は私情を捨てて、公正な判断を下した。 ・Translation: He set aside his personal feelings and made a fair judgment. ・Explanation: This sentence emphasizes that the person overcame their biases to make an unbiased decision.

人事では私情を挟まず、能力で評価すべきだ。 ・Translation: In personnel matters, one should not be influenced by personal feelings and should evaluate based on ability. ・Explanation: This sentence underscores the importance of objective evaluation in hiring and promotion decisions, avoiding favoritism.

The word 私情 is a compound word. 私 (watashi) means "private" or "personal," and 情 (jou) means "feeling," "emotion," or "circumstances." The combination of these two kanji creates the meaning of "personal feelings" or "private emotions."