Usage patterns 生真面目きまじめ な 〈 人ひと〉 〉 an overly earnest, humorlessly serious person
He's an overly serious person, always dead earnest about his work.
生真面目きまじめ に 〈 動詞どうし〉 〉 to do something in an overly earnest, dutiful way
She follows the rules with excessive earnestness.
生真面目きまじめ すぎる to be too serious/earnest
He's so overly serious that jokes are lost on him.
Kanji 真 true, reality, Buddhist sect Related words 真面目 is the neutral word for 'serious' or 'diligent', while 生真面目 adds an extra layer of intensity, implying someone is overly serious to the point of being rigid or humorless.
堅物 is a noun describing a person who is stiff and uncompromisingly serious, while 生真面目 is an adjective describing the quality of being excessively earnest, which may or may not involve rigidity.
堅苦しい describes an atmosphere or manner that feels stiff and formal, while 生真面目 describes a person's overly earnest, humorless personality.
Opposites 不真面目 means 'insincere' or 'not serious', the direct opposite of the excessive earnestness expressed by 生真面目 .
気楽 describes a carefree, relaxed attitude, contrasting with the overly earnest, rigid seriousness of 生真面目 .
Written forms 生真面目きまじめ Usage 76%
きまじめ Usage 19%
生き まじめ Usage 6%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; less common but still used.
Etymology Compound of 生 (ki, 'pure' or 'raw') and 真面目 (majime, 'serious'). The prefix 生 intensifies the meaning, yielding 'extremely serious'.
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