JLPT N3EverydayMostly unwelcome

気ぎ味みa touch of; slightly

A touch of something, now or lately: a little tired, running a little late, a cold coming on. Mostly it is something you'd rather not have.

verb stem

最さい近きん、仕し事ごとが忙いそがしくて、少すこし疲つかれ気ぎ味みです。

Work has been busy lately, and I'm feeling a little tired.

noun

風邪かぜ気ぎ味みのときは、早はやめに休やすんだほうがいい。

When you feel a cold coming on, it's best to rest early.

How to form it

Noun + 気ぎ味み　／　Verb ます-stem + 気ぎ味み

風邪かぜ → 風邪かぜ気ぎ味み, 疲つかれます → 疲つかれ気ぎ味み. It works like a noun: 風邪かぜ気ぎ味みだ, 風邪かぜ気ぎ味みで, 風邪かぜ気ぎ味みの人ひと. It is read ぎみ here; alone, the word is 気き味み, as in 気き味みが悪わるい, "creepy".

Before it: Mostly set words for how your body feels or how things are going.
Often with: 少すこし, ちょっと, 最さい近きん, このところ.
Said about: Yourself, from how you feel. Other people and things, from what you see.
Where you'll meet it: Talk about health, and work reports on schedules and stock.

The words you will hear

風邪かぜ気ぎ味みa bit of a cold

この数すう日じつは風邪かぜ気ぎ味みで、声こえが出でにくい。

I've had a bit of a cold these past few days, and my voice won't come out properly.

Feeling a slight fever is 熱ねつっぽい.

疲つかれ気ぎ味みa little tired

最さい近きん、目めが疲つかれ気ぎ味みなので、画が面めんを見みる時じ間かんを減へらしている。

My eyes have been a little tired lately, so I'm cutting down on screen time.

太ふとり気ぎ味みa little overweight

最さい近きん、少すこし太ふとり気ぎ味みなので、夜や食しょくを控ひかえている。

I've been putting on a little weight lately, so I'm cutting back on late-night snacks.

遅おくれ気ぎ味みrunning a little behind

今こん月げつの工こう事じは、予よ定ていより遅おくれ気ぎ味みだ。

This month's construction work is running a little behind schedule.

緊きん張ちょう気ぎ味みa little nervous

新あたらしい担たん当とう者しゃは、会かい議ぎで緊きん張ちょう気ぎ味みだった。

The new person in charge seemed a little nervous at the meeting.

不ふ足そく気ぎ味みrunning a little short

現げん在ざい、部ぶ品ひんの在ざい庫こが不ふ足そく気ぎ味みです。

Our stock of parts is running a little low at the moment.

寝ね不ぶ足そく気ぎ味み is "a bit short of sleep".

気ぎ味み or がち?

このところ、電でん車しゃは少すこし遅おくれ気ぎ味みだ。

The trains have been running a little late recently.

How things are lately: a little late.

雨あめの日ひは電でん車しゃが遅おくれがちだ。

Trains tend to run late on rainy days.

What happens again and again.

風邪かぜ気ぎ味み is a cold coming on. 病びょう気きがち is someone who is often ill.

Not after an adjective

English puts "a bit" in front of anything. 気ぎ味み only follows a noun or a verb stem.

Not said: このかばんは少すこし高たかい気ぎ味みだ。

(This bag is a bit expensive.)

少すこし高たかい, or 高たかめ.

Close neighbours

めN3

On い-adjectives: "on the … side".

このかばんは少すこし高たかめだ。

This bag is a little on the expensive side.

がちN3

After a verb stem or a noun: it tends to happen, again and again over time, and is mostly unwelcome. 忘わすれがち, 遅おくれがち, 病びょう気きがち, ありがち.

子こどものころは病びょう気きがちだった。

I was often ill as a child.

っぽいN3

Casual, and often a criticism. After a noun or an adjective stem, "-ish", it has the feel of that thing: 子こどもっぽい, 安やすっぽい, 黒くろっぽい, 熱ねつっぽい. After a verb stem, "quick to": 忘わすれっぽい, 怒おこりっぽい.

この時計とけいはデザインが少すこし安やすっぽい。

The design of this watch looks a little cheap.

だらけN3

After a noun: covered in or full of something unwelcome that you can see or count. 泥どろだらけ, 傷きずだらけ, 間ま違ちがいだらけ.

シャツは泥どろだらけだ。

The shirt is covered in mud.

Check yourself

1Which one fits?

今日きょうは朝あさからのどが痛いたくて、少すこし風邪かぜ（　　）だ。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

最さい近きん、成せい績せきが（　　）気ぎ味みだ。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

今日きょうは少すこし疲つかれ気ぎ味みなので、早はやく帰かえります。

I'm a little tired today, so I'm going home early.

薬くすりを飲のみ始はじめてから、食しょく欲よくが落おち気ぎ味みだ。

Since I started taking the medicine, my appetite has been a little down.

今こん週しゅうは配はい送そうが少すこし遅おくれ気ぎ味みだ。

Deliveries are running a little late this week.

彼かれは疲つかれ気ぎ味みに見みえたので、声こえをかけなかった。

He looked a little tired, so I didn't speak to him.

Compared with similar forms

Ways to say "tends to"