自尊心（じそんしん、jisonshiん）
- self-esteem

The Japanese word 自尊心 （じそんしん）translates to "self-esteem," "self-respect," or "pride." It refers to a feeling of having respect for oneself and one's abilities, and a belief that one deserves to be treated well. It encompasses the value and worth a person places on themselves. It's about how one views their own value and dignity. It's also linked to the feeling of satisfaction with oneself, and the awareness of one’s own strengths and weaknesses. It can also refer to the desire to be treated with respect by others.

⚫︎ 彼は高い自尊心を持っている。 Translation: He has high self-esteem. ⚫︎ 自尊心を傷つけられたと感じた。 Translation: I felt that my self-respect was hurt. ⚫︎ 失敗から自尊心を守るために、彼は言い訳をした。 Translation: He made excuses to protect his pride from failure.

⚫︎ You can use 自尊心 to discuss a person's level of self-respect or how they feel about themselves. ⚫︎ It is appropriate to use it in many contexts, including conversations about personality, relationships, work, or personal growth. ⚫︎ You can use it to describe someone's confidence, or lack thereof. ⚫︎ You can also use it when talking about actions that either damage or bolster someone's sense of self-worth.

⚫︎ The word is written in Kanji as 自尊心 （じそんしん）. ⚫︎ The reading is always じそんしん in hiragana. ⚫︎ There are no other ways to write this word. ⚫︎ There is no variation in the okurigana.

⚫︎ 自己肯定感 (じここうていかん): Sense of self-affirmation; self-acceptance. ⚫︎ プライド (puraito): Pride (borrowed from English). ⚫︎ 尊厳 (そんげん): Dignity. ⚫︎ 自信 (じしん): Confidence.

⚫︎ 劣等感 (れっとうかん): Inferiority complex. ⚫︎ 自己否定 (じこひてい): Self-negation; self-denial. ⚫︎ 無力感 (むりょくかん): Feeling of helplessness.

試験に合格して、彼は自尊心を満たした。 ・Translation: By passing the exam, he satisfied his self-esteem. ・Explanation: The successful outcome boosted his sense of self-worth and pride.

友人の言葉が、彼女の自尊心を大きく傷つけた。 ・Translation: Her friend's words greatly hurt her self-respect. ・Explanation: The friend's words had a negative impact on her feeling of self-worth.

The word 自尊心 （じそんしん） is composed of: ⚫︎ 自 (ji): meaning "self," "oneself." ⚫︎ 尊 (son): meaning "respect," "esteem." ⚫︎ 心 (shin): meaning "heart," "mind," "spirit." Therefore, the word literally means "respect for one's own self."