やけ

や

け

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

usually written using kana alone

A state of reckless despair where one gives up on caring about consequences. Often used in phrases like やけになる or やけを起こす.

彼かれは失しつ恋れんして、やけになって酒さけを飲のみすぎた。

He got desperate after a broken heart and drank too much.

やけを起おこして仕し事ごとを辞やめてしまった。

In despair, I ended up quitting my job.

Usage patterns

やけを起おこすto fall into a fit of reckless despair
試し験けんに落おちて、やけを起おこして全ぜん部ぶの教きょう科か書しょを捨すててしまった。
After failing the exam, he fell into despair and threw away all his textbooks.
やけ酒ざけを飲のむto drink to drown one's despair
彼かれは失しつ恋れんしてやけ酒ざけを飲のんだ。
He drank himself into oblivion after his heartbreak.
やけ半はん分ぶんに〈動どう詞し〉to do something half out of desperation
やけ半はん分ぶんに会かい社しゃを辞やめてしまった。
I quit my job, half out of desperation.

Expressions

やけになるbecome desperate; give in to despair
やけのやんぱちdesperation; recklessness from despair

Kanji

自oneself
棄abandon, throw away, discard
焼bake, burning

Related words

自じ暴ぼう自じ棄き
自暴自棄 is a more formal, four-character compound for total self-abandonment, while やけ is the everyday, colloquial word for the same reckless despair.
捨すて鉢ばち
捨て鉢 describes a resigned, don't-care attitude similar to やけ, but it leans more toward giving up on effort than toward reckless, destructive behavior.
絶ぜつ望ぼうN2
絶望 means general hopelessness or despair without the reckless, self-destructive edge that やけ carries.

Don't confuse with

焼やき
焼き is the noun for the act of grilling/tempering, while 焼け refers to the resulting mark or state of having burned, as in 日焼け (sunburn).
焦こげ
焼け refers broadly to burn or fire damage (e.g. sunburn, fire traces), while 焦げ specifically means a scorch or char mark from heat, often just surface browning.

Word family

やけくそ
desperation; self-abandonment; recklessness out of despair
やけっぱち
complete desperation; reckless abandon
自棄やけっ腹ぱら
desperation; despair; reckless anger

Written forms

やけUsage85%
Usually written in kana. The kanji form 自棄 is also used, but less common.
ヤケUsage9%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
焼やけUsage4%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form for this meaning; more commonly read as やけ for 'burning' or 'jealousy'.
自棄やけ

Etymology

Derived from the verb 焼ける (やける, 'to burn'), metaphorically extended to a state of being 'burned up' with despair or reckless emotion. The kanji 自棄 is an ateji assignment based on meaning.

Usage2%

Kanji form, less common than kana. The reading やけ is standard.