noun
Refers to the inner mental or spiritual state behind courage, composure, confidence, or attitude; often appears in idioms rather than as a direct equivalent of English 'mind'.
See also: 気が大きい
深呼吸をして気を静めた。
I took a deep breath and calmed my mind.
勝った後、彼は少し気が大きくなった。
After winning, he became a little overconfident.
noun
nature; disposition; temperament
Used for a person's habitual character or temperament, especially in set descriptions such as 気が短い or 気のいい人.
See also: 気が短い
noun
Common after a verb or in compounds such as やる気, meaning one's willingness, intention, or drive to do something.
今日は出かける気がない。
I don't feel like going out today.
彼女はやる気に満ちている。
She is full of motivation.
noun
Refers to a temporary emotional state or inclination, as in 気が重い, 気が変わる, or 気が進まない.
明日の会議のことを考えると気が重い。
When I think about tomorrow's meeting, I feel weighed down.
途中で気が変わった。
I changed my mind halfway through.
noun
Used especially in the expression 気を失う, meaning to lose consciousness or faint.
See also: 気を失う
彼は暑さで気を失った。
He lost consciousness from the heat.
noun
care; attention; consideration; worry
Covers paying attention, being considerate, or worrying about something; common in expressions such as 気を使う, 気をつける, and 気にする.
See also: 気を使う
彼女はいつも周りに気を使う。
She is always considerate of the people around her.
細かいことまで気にしすぎないで
noun
Used when someone's interest or attention is attracted, especially in phrases such as 気を引く.
See also: 気を引く
その広告は子どもの気を引くデザインだった。
The advertisement had a design that caught children's interest.
noun
air; physical atmosphere
Elevated or literary use for the physical air or atmosphere of a place; everyday Japanese usually uses 空気 for literal 'air'.
朝の山の気は冷たかった。
The morning mountain air was cold.
noun
ambience; atmosphere; mood of a place
Refers to the felt atmosphere or mood surrounding a place or situation. As a standalone noun this is more literary than the common word 雰囲気.
会場には張りつめた気が漂っていた。
A tense atmosphere hung over the venue.
noun
fragrance; aroma; flavour; taste
Rare or bound use for scent or flavor, mainly visible in compounds such as 香気 rather than in ordinary standalone use.
「香気」の気は、香りや風味を表す。
The 気 in 香気 expresses fragrance or flavor.
noun
Technical or philosophical sense from East Asian thought, martial arts, and traditional medicine: a vital energy or force thought to flow through the body or world.
東洋医学では、気が体内を巡ると考える。
In East Asian medicine, qi is thought to circulate through the body.
Don't worry too much about every little detail.
More concrete for a feeling, sentiment, or bodily sensation; 気 is broader and often works inside idioms.
Often means one's mood or physical condition at a particular time; 気 covers motivation, attention, disposition, and many other idiomatic uses.
A more formal word for motivation or willingness; やる気 and other 気 expressions are more everyday.
The normal word for literal air and also common for social atmosphere; standalone 気 for air or ambience is more literary or phrase-bound.
気 is the modern Japanese form of the older character 氣. The reading き is Sino-Japanese and is associated with the Chinese concept of qi, originally tied to ideas such as vapor, breath, and vital energy; modern Japanese extends it widely to mind, mood, attention, motivation, and atmosphere.