行い
Meanings
Refers to a specific action or deed, often with a moral or evaluative nuance. Used in contexts like 正しい行い (right action) or 悪い行い (bad deed).
His brave deed moved many people.
Small daily actions build trust.
Focuses on a person's overall behavior or way of acting, often over time. Common in phrases like 行いが悪い (bad conduct) or 行いを改める (reform one's behavior).
Since his everyday conduct is good, he will surely succeed.
If you don't improve your behavior, you'll lose trust.
asceticism; religious practice
Buddhist term for ascetic practices or religious disciplines. Rare in everyday conversation; mainly found in religious contexts.
Monks aim for enlightenment through rigorous ascetic practices.
Usage patterns
- 行いを改めるto reform one's conduct
He reflected on his past and reformed his conduct.
- 行いを慎むto be careful about one's conduct
One should be careful about one's conduct in public.
- 行いを正すto correct one's behavior
After being scolded by his teacher, he corrected his behavior.
- 〈人〉の行いを見るto observe someone's conduct or deeds
The teacher watches the students' conduct closely.