鼻息
also: びそく
Meanings
nasal breathing; breath from the nose
Literal sense: the act of breathing through the nose, or the breath itself. Used in medical, descriptive, or figurative contexts.
My nose was stuffed from a cold, and my nasal breathing became heavy.
His breath from his nose tickled the back of my neck.
excitement; enthusiasm; eagerness
Only with reading はないき
Figurative use, often in the phrase 鼻息が荒い, describing someone who is fired up, aggressive, or overly eager. Restricted to the reading はないき.
The new employee was so fired up that he surprised his seniors.
Before the election, every candidate is full of fighting spirit.
Usage patterns
- 〈人〉の鼻息が聞こえるto be able to hear someone's nasal breathing
It was so quiet that I could hear the breathing of the person sitting next to me.
- 鼻息を荒くするto become excited or fired up (breathing hard)
The other party in the negotiation got worked up and pushed their demands aggressively.
- 鼻息も荒く〈動詞〉to do something with heavy, excited breathing (i.e. eagerly/aggressively)
The players charged into the venue, breathing hard with excitement.