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のんき (nonki) Japanese meaning: easygoing | Kotomora
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彼かれ は いつも のんき で 、 締しめ 切きり が 近ちか づい て も 慌あわ て ない 。
He's always so easygoing; he doesn't panic even when the deadline is near.
This is no time to be taking it easy.
Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 はのんきに 構かま える for someone to take a relaxed, unworried attitude
Even before the exam, he stays completely laid-back about it.
のんきな 性せい 格かく an easygoing personality
She has an easygoing personality and doesn't worry much.
のんきに 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 to do something in a carefree, unhurried way
He fished away leisurely, forgetting all about work.
のんき 者もの a carefree, easygoing person
He's been known as an easygoing sort of guy since way back.
Related words 気楽 stresses a deliberate sense of relief or freedom from worry, while 呑気 describes an inherent, unhurried temperament that doesn't easily worry.
楽観的 is a formal, intellectual term for having an optimistic outlook, whereas 呑気 refers to a relaxed, carefree personal manner.
悠然 describes a composed, unhurried bearing especially in one's actions or manner, while 呑気 focuses more on a lighthearted, worry-free attitude.
おっとり describes a gentle, unhurried demeanor often seen as elegant or refined, while 呑気 emphasizes not worrying or rushing about things.
のんき describes a relaxed, unworried temperament in everyday behavior, while 楽天的 more specifically emphasizes a positive expectation that things will turn out well.
Don't confuse with 短気 (short-tempered, quick to anger) looks similar with its 気 ending but describes an irritable temperament, the opposite of the calm 呑気.
呑気 describes a person's carefree, easygoing personality, while のどか describes the peaceful quality of a scene, mood, or weather, not a personal trait.
Written forms のんき Usage 45%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are ateji and less common.
呑のん 気き Usage 29%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji spelling; recognized but less frequent than kana.
暢のん 気き Usage 12%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji variant; rarely used.
のん 気き
Etymology The word is of uncertain origin. The kanji spellings 呑気 and 暢気 are ateji (phonetic equivalents) and do not reflect the etymology. The reading のんき may be related to the mimetic word のんびり (leisurely, carefree).
Usage 9%
search-only kanji form
Search-only mixed kanji-kana form.
ノンキ Usage 6%
search-only kana form
Search-only katakana form.
暖のん 気き
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; easily confused with 暖気 (だんき, warm air).
