English–Japanese

“breath” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajiiki

Example

大きく息を吸います。ō ki ku iki o su i ma su

I take a deep breath.

Illustration for 息 (breath)

How to say “breath” in Japanese

“Breath” in Japanese is 息 (iki).

Centers on air moving into and out of the body, either as breathing or as one breath.

Full entry for 息: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 息

走ったので、息が苦しいです。hashi tta no de iki ga kuru shi i de su

I am out of breath because I ran.

緊張すると、息が浅くなります。kin chō su ru to iki ga asa ku na ri ma su

When I get nervous, my breathing becomes shallow.

Tips for using 息

  • English distinguishes breath as one amount of air from breathing as the ongoing act, while 息 (iki) can correspond to both in everyday Japanese.

“breath” in other languages