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粋 (いき, iki) Japanese meaning: chic | Kotomora
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彼かの 女じょ の 着き 物もの の 着き こなし は とても 粋いき だ 。
Her way of wearing a kimono is very chic.
That bar is popular for its sophisticated atmosphere.
Usage patterns 粋いき な 〈 物もの 〉 a chic, stylish ~ (clothing, design, etc.)
She always wears chic, tastefully styled kimono.
粋いき な 計はか らい a thoughtful, considerate gesture
Thanks to the staff's thoughtful gesture, we were moved to a quieter seat.
粋いき を 尽つ くす to spare no effort in refined style or taste
This restaurant is famous for its exquisitely refined design.
Related words· 8 おしゃれ is a lighter, more casual word for being fashionable, while 粋 implies a deeper, more mature and understated sense of style.
気が利く highlights quick, practical thoughtfulness in the moment, while 粋 suggests a broader, more ingrained sense of considerate sophistication.
上品 means refined or elegant in a general, often formal sense, whereas 粋 specifically evokes the cool, effortless sophistication of Edo-style taste.
粋 emphasizes tasteful, understated urban sophistication, while 伊達 leans toward a showier, more dandyish kind of stylishness.
Show 4 more 粋 describes a stylish, chic refinement, whereas 渋い points to a quieter, more subdued kind of mature elegance.
粋 is the standard, stronger word for refined or sophisticated style, whereas 乙 (as 乙な) has a more playful, quaint, or old-fashioned nuance.
粋 stresses stylish sophistication, while 通 in this sense stresses tactful, worldly insight into delicate human relations.
Word family stylish; chic; dapper · conceited; cheeky
red-light district; pleasure quarters · love affair; romance
act pretentious; put on airs; try to look cool
act chic; put on airs; try to look cool
Written forms 粋いき Usage 68%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses. Also written as 意気 in sense 1.
イキ Usage 20%
いき Usage 12%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the intended nuance is broad.
Etymology Originally a term from the Edo period describing the aesthetic ideal of sophisticated, understated coolness in the pleasure quarters. The kanji 粋 means 'pure' or 'essence', reflecting the idea of refined essence. The reading いき is of uncertain origin, possibly related to 意気 (spirit, disposition).
粋 describes a chic, stylish, somewhat edgy refinement often linked to Edo-period urban culture, whereas 風流 is a more classical, poetic elegance.
粋いき 作づく り
stylishness; sophistication; refinement
