気
Meanings
Refers to the inner mental or spiritual state behind courage, composure, confidence, or attitude; often appears in idioms rather than as a direct equivalent of English 'mind'.
See also: 気が大きい
I took a deep breath and calmed my mind.
After winning, he became a little overconfident.
nature; disposition; temperament
Used for a person's habitual character or temperament, especially in set descriptions such as 気が短い or 気のいい人.
See also: 気が短い
My father is short-tempered.
He is a good-natured person.
Common after a verb or in compounds such as やる気, meaning one's willingness, intention, or drive to do something.
I don't feel like going out today.
She is full of motivation.
Refers to a temporary emotional state or inclination, as in 気が重い, 気が変わる, or 気が進まない.
When I think about tomorrow's meeting, I feel weighed down.
I changed my mind halfway through.
Used especially in the expression 気を失う, meaning to lose consciousness or faint.
See also: 気を失う
He lost consciousness from the heat.
care; attention; consideration; worry
Covers paying attention, being considerate, or worrying about something; common in expressions such as 気を使う, 気をつける, and 気にする.
See also: 気を使う
She is always considerate of the people around her.
Don't worry too much about every little detail.
Used when someone's interest or attention is attracted, especially in phrases such as 気を引く.
See also: 気を引く
The advertisement had a design that caught children's interest.
air; physical atmosphere
Elevated or literary use for the physical air or atmosphere of a place; everyday Japanese usually uses 空気 for literal 'air'.
The morning mountain air was cold.
ambience; atmosphere; mood of a place
Refers to the felt atmosphere or mood surrounding a place or situation. As a standalone noun this is more literary than the common word 雰囲気.
A tense atmosphere hung over the venue.
Technical or philosophical sense from East Asian thought, martial arts, and traditional medicine: a vital energy or force thought to flow through the body or world.
In East Asian medicine, qi is thought to circulate through the body.
Usage patterns· 8
- 〈事〉に気をつけるto be careful about something; to watch out for something
Please be careful of cars.
- 〈事〉を気にするto worry about or mind something
He worries about other people's opinions.
- 〈事〉に気を配るto pay attention to; to be considerate of something
She pays attention to even the smallest details.
- 〈人〉に気を許すto let one's guard down with someone; to trust someone
She doesn't let her guard down with people she's just met.
- 気を悪くするto take offense; to feel hurt
If you say that, he'll be offended.
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- 気を落とすto be discouraged; to lose heart
Don't be discouraged even if you fail the exam.
- 気が早いto be hasty; to jump ahead of oneself
Buying the present already? You're getting ahead of yourself.
- 気が済むto be satisfied; to feel at ease
Once he apologized, I finally felt satisfied.
Expressions· 196
- 気に入るlike; be pleased with; take a liking to
- 気があるhave an interest; feel inclined
- 気がつくnotice; realize; become aware of · be attentive; be observant; be scrupulous · regain consciousness; come to
- 気が利くsensible; smart; tasteful · thoughtful; tactful; sensitive
- 気が合うget along well; be like-minded; hit it off