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仕草 (しぐさ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
noun
gesture ; movement ; mannerism ; behavior
Refers to a person's characteristic gestures, movements, or way of acting, often revealing personality or emotion. Common in descriptions of body language and habitual actions.
緊きん 張ちょう する と 、 髪かみ を 触さわ る 仕し 草ぐさ が 出で る 。
When I'm nervous, I start making the gesture of touching my hair.
2
noun
acting ; performance ; gesture in theater
Used in theatrical or performance contexts to describe deliberate gestures or stage movements. Less common than sense 1 in everyday speech.
Written forms 仕し 草ぐさ Usage 47%
Standard modern spelling; used in news and everyday writing.
しぐさ Usage 42%
仕し 種ぐさ Usage 12%
Alternate kanji form; less common but still seen.
為種しぐさ
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; not recommended for learners.
Similar words 身み 振ぶ り 身振り focuses more on deliberate bodily gestures used for communication, while 仕草 includes unconscious mannerisms and habitual movements.
行こう 動どう 行動 refers to broader actions or conduct, not specifically to gestures or mannerisms.
Etymology Compound of 仕 (し, 'to do') and 草 (ぐさ, 'grass' or 'kind'), originally meaning 'way of doing' or 'manner'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with behavior and gestures.
do, change, make
