気きまま

き

ま

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Describes a person who acts according to their own desires without considering others, often with a negative connotation.

彼かれは気きままな性せい格かくで、周まわりの迷めい惑わくを考かんがえない。
He has a selfish personality and doesn't consider the trouble he causes others.
気きままに振ふる舞まうと、友とも達だちを失うしなうよ。
If you act willfully, you'll lose your friends.

na-adjective, noun

carefree; free-spirited; do-as-you-please

Describes a lifestyle or attitude of doing what one likes without being bound by rules or others' expectations; can be positive or neutral.

退たい職しょく後ごは気きままな一人ひとり旅たびを楽たのしんでいる。
After retirement, I'm enjoying carefree solo travel.
彼かの女じょは気きままに絵えを描かいて暮くらしている。
She lives a free-spirited life, painting as she pleases.

See all 42 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

気きままな〈人ひと〉a willful, self-centered person
彼かれは気きままな人ひとで、自じ分ぶんの意い見けんを押おし通とおす。
He's a willful person who always pushes his own opinions.
気きままな生せい活かつa carefree, do-as-you-please lifestyle
定てい年ねん後ごは気きままな生せい活かつを送おくりたい。
I want to lead a carefree life after retirement.
気きままに暮くらすto live as one pleases
田舎いなかで気きままに暮くらすのが夢ゆめだ。
My dream is to live freely in the countryside.
気きままに過すごすto spend time however one likes
休きゅう日じつは家いえで気きままに過すごすことが多おおい。
On days off, I often spend time at home however I like.

Kanji

気spirit, mind, air
儘as it is, because
侭as it is, because

Related words· 6

わがままN3sense 1
わがまま is more strongly negative, implying selfish demands or tantrums, while 気まま can be neutral or even positive when describing a free lifestyle.
自じ由ゆうN4sense 2
自由 is a broader, more neutral term for freedom or liberty, while 気まま specifically carries the nuance of personal whim and self-indulgence.
勝かっ手てN3sense 1
勝手 emphasizes acting without regard for rules or others' convenience, while 気まま focuses on following one's own whims and moods.
自じ由ゆう奔ほん放ぽう sense 2
自由奔放 stresses an uninhibited, expansive spirit unconstrained by convention, while 気まま simply describes doing as one pleases day to day.

Show 2 more

気きの向むくままに
気まま describes a self-indulgent, do-as-one-likes personality or attitude, while 気の向くままに describes the spontaneous act of following a passing mood without any negative connotation.
恣し意い
気まま is a casual, everyday word for doing as one pleases with little negative weight, whereas 恣意 is formal and carries a critical tone about biased or unjust judgment.

Opposites

従じゅう順じゅん sense 1
従順 describes someone obedient and compliant, the opposite of the willful, self-centered behavior described by 気まま.

Don't confuse with

気きまぐれN2
気まぐれ describes capricious, unpredictable changes of mood, whereas 気まま describes a consistent tendency to act on one's own desires or preferences.

Word family

勝かっ手て気きまま
self-willed; doing as one pleases; inconsiderate
気きまま勝かっ手て
self-willed; doing as one pleases
気きまま放ほう題だい
selfishly as one pleases; willfully as one pleases
自じ由ゆう気きまま
free; unfettered; doing as one likes

Written forms

気きままUsage80%
Standard modern spelling; the second kanji is usually written in kana.
気き儘ままUsage14%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; the kyūjitai 儘 is uncommon in modern writing.
きままUsage5%
気き侭ままUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 侭 is a variant of 儘.

Etymology

Compound of 気 (ki, 'spirit, mind') and まま (mama, 'as is, at will'). The exact origin of まま is uncertain, but it conveys the idea of leaving things to one's own inclination.