Japanese word

息

Pronunciation

Romajiiki

Meaning

  • nounbreath

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)

More examples

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.

Core concept

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

Common phrases

  • 息をするiki o su ru

    breathe

  • 息を吸うiki o sū

    take a breath

  • 息を吐くiki o ha ku

    exhale

  • 息を止めるiki o to me ru

    hold one's breath

Similar words

呼吸kokyū: The act of taking air into the body and releasing it.

Definition in Japanese

呼吸すること。また、呼吸のために体内に出し入れする空気。ko kyū su ru ko to ma ta ko kyū no ta me ni tai nai ni da shi i re su ru kū ki

Word origin

息 (iki) is a native Japanese word recorded in Old Japanese as iki, while the kanji 息 was later used to write it; the word's deeper origin is uncertain.

Usage tips

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

Other meanings

  • breathingnoun

Word lists with this word