鼓動

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 鼓動 is read as こどう and is a noun for a heartbeat or the rhythmic beating of the heart.
• Basic usage: A strong beat after exercise appears in 激しい鼓動, while a heartbeat quickened by tension appears in 鼓動が速くなる.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Perceptible beating of the heart
  • It readily conveys the bodily sensation of the heart beating strongly or rapidly after exertion or under tension.
• Difference from 心拍
  • 心拍 readily presents heart rate in a medical or numerical context, while 鼓動 focuses on the felt beating motion.