「Gutto kuru」: When an emotion 'wells up' in one word

If you've lived in Japan long enough, you've surely heard the word「感動した」(kandou shita - I was moved). But sometimes, you feel that word is a bit... 'flat' and doesn't fully capture a strong, sudden emotion that rushes up and gets stuck in your chest?

That's when native speakers use the master trick: 「グッとくる」(Gutto kuru).

💡 What is「Gutto kuru」?

To understand this word, let's 'dissect' it a bit:

• グッと (Gutto): This is an onomatopoeia, describing a strong, sudden, suppressed action. Imagine you're pulling a rope hard, clenching your fist tightly, or suppressing an emotion. That's グッと.
• くる (Kuru): Means 'to come'.

➡️ Put together, グッとくる can be roughly understood as '(an emotion) comes on strongly'. It's not just 'being moved', but the moment emotion wells up, making you pause, maybe with tears in your eyes, or simply feeling something 'touch' you to the core.

🎬 When to use it?

グッとくる is used to describe a personal emotional reaction, which is instantaneous and genuine. It's stronger than 感動した and more physical.

Real-life examples:

1. When watching a movie, listening to music 🎶

   映画の最後のシーン、主人公がお父さんと再会するところ、あれは本当にグッときたよ。 (The last scene of the movie, where the main character reunites with his father, that really 'got' to me.)

2. When hearing someone's story 💬

   先輩が苦労した昔話を聞いて、グッときちゃいました。 (Hearing my senior talk about his past struggles, I suddenly felt so moved.)

3. When receiving a warm word or action ❤️

   誕生日に友達からもらった手紙を読んで、思わずグッときた。 (Reading the letter I got from a friend on my birthday, I couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.)

4. When seeing a beautiful or meaningful sight ✨

   小さい子が一生懸命走っている姿を見て、なんかグッとくるものがあった。 (Seeing a small child running with all their might, there was something that really moved me.)

🔑 The key to using it correctly

The biggest difference between 感動した and グッとくる is:

• 感動した: Usually used to talk about a result, a fact that you were moved. (e.g., コンサートに感動した - I was moved by the concert).
• グッとくる: Describes the very moment the emotion wells up. It's more personal and spontaneous.

If you want to express a genuine, deep emotion and sound more 'Japanese', instead of just saying 感動しました, try using グッときました. This is a small step, but it will make your ability to express emotions much more nuanced!