Japanese word

行い

Pronunciation

Romajiokonai

Meaning

  • noundeed

Example

悪い行いを改めます。waru i okona i o arata me ma su

I will change my bad behavior.

Illustration for 行い (deed)

More examples

小さな行いが、周りの人を幸せにします。chii sa na okona i ga mawa ri no hito o shiawa se ni shi ma su

A small deed can make the people around you happy.

Core concept

Refers to a person's actions as something that can be considered a deed or evaluated as a pattern of conduct.

Common phrases

  • 善い行いyo i okona i

    good deed

  • 悪い行いwaru i okona i

    bad deed

  • 日頃の行いhi goro no okona i

    everyday conduct

Similar words

行為kōi: An action performed by a person, especially one considered in moral or social terms.
振る舞いfurumai: A person's way of acting and conducting themselves in a particular situation.
所業shogyō: An act, especially one regarded as blameworthy or morally serious.

Definition in Japanese

人がした事柄や振る舞いを、善悪や価値の観点からとらえたもの。hito ga shi ta koto gara ya fu ru ma i o zen aku ya ka chi no kan ten ka ra to ra e ta mo no

Word origin

行い (okonai) is the noun form of the native verb 行う (okonau, "to carry out"), so it names an action as something carried out by a person.

Usage tips

  • For JLPT learners, 行い (okonai) is a formal noun that commonly occurs when a person's conduct receives praise or blame.

Other meanings

  • conductnoun

Word lists with this word