ため息いき

た

め

い

き

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

A deep breath expressing tiredness, relief, sadness, or frustration. Often used in phrases like ため息をつく (to heave a sigh).

ため息いきが出でるa sigh escapes (involuntarily)
疲つかれがたまって、思おもわずため息いきが出でた。
I was so tired that a sigh escaped me without meaning to.
深ふかいため息いきをつくto heave a deep sigh
彼かれはテストの結けっ果かを見みて深ふかいため息いきをついた。
He heaved a deep sigh when he saw his test results.
ため息いきをもらすto let slip a sigh
彼かの女じょは書しょ類るいを見みて、思おもわずため息いきをもらした。
She let slip a sigh as she looked over the documents.
ため息いき交まじりに〈動どう詞し〉to do something while sighing
彼かれはため息いき交まじりに「もう無む理りだ」と言いった。
He said, sighing, 'I can't do this anymore.'

嘆たん息そく
嘆息 is a more formal, literary word for sighing, while ため息 is the everyday word used in ordinary speech.
嘆たんN1
ため息 is the ordinary word for a physical sigh, whereas 嘆 is a literary noun for a sigh expressing grief or lament.

息いきN3
息 is the general word for breath, whereas ため息 refers specifically to a sigh exhaled to express emotion like tiredness or sadness.

ため息いきUsage63%
Standard spelling; the first part is usually written in kana.
溜ため息いきUsage20%
Rare compact spelling; the 溜め息 form is more common when kanji is used.
溜ため息いきUsage14%
Alternate spelling using the kanji 溜; less common but still seen.
ためいきUsage4%

Compound of ため (from verb 溜める, to accumulate) and 息 (breath), literally 'accumulated breath'.