元気

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Japanese

Kanji in this term
元 気
げん
Grade: 2 		き
Grade: 1
kan’on
Alternative spelling
元氣 (kyūjitai)

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese compound 元氣 (MC ngjwon khj+jH, literally “first, fundamental, source + vapor, spirit, energy”). In Chinese cosmology, this represented the fundamental force that permeates all matter and life. Early Japanese borrowed this word and meaning. Later, this spelling was conflated with the meaning of homophone 減気 (genki, “recovery from illness”), adding in the modern senses related to healthy and wellness.

Pronunciation

Adjective

元(げん)気(き) • (genki) -na (adnominal 元(げん)気(き)な (genki na), adverbial 元(げん)気(き)に (genki ni))

  1. healthy
    元(げん)気(き)になる
    genki ni naru
    to get well (recover from sickness)
    お元(げん)気(き)で！
    O-genki de!
    good luck (to you)!/Take care of yourself./Stay healthy.
    元(げん)気(き)？
    Genki?
    Are you well? / How are you?
  2. energetic
  3. in a good mood; peppy; lively
    部(ぶ)長(ちょう)は今日(きょう)も元(げん)気(き)だね。
    Buchō wa kyō mo genki da ne.
    Our club president looks pretty peppy today again.
    妹(いもうと)を元(げん)気(き)にさせる
    imōto o genki ni saseru
    to cheer up one's little sister
Inflection
Inflection of 元気
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形) 元気だろ げんきだろ genki daro
Continuative (連用形) 元気で げんきで genki de
Terminal (終止形) 元気だ げんきだ genki da
Attributive (連体形) 元気な げんきな genki na
Hypothetical (仮定形) 元気なら げんきなら genki nara
Imperative (命令形) 元気であれ げんきであれ genki de are
Key constructions
Informal negative 元気ではない
元気じゃない 		げんきではない
げんきじゃない 		genki de wa nai
genki ja nai
Informal past 元気だった げんきだった genki datta
Informal negative past 元気ではなかった
元気じゃなかった 		げんきではなかった
げんきじゃなかった 		genki de wa nakatta
genki ja nakatta
Formal 元気です げんきです genki desu
Formal negative 元気ではありません
元気じゃありません 		げんきではありません
げんきじゃありません 		genki de wa arimasen
genki ja arimasen
Formal past 元気でした げんきでした genki deshita
Formal negative past 元気ではありませんでした
元気じゃありませんでした 		げんきではありませんでした
げんきじゃありませんでした 		genki de wa arimasen deshita
genki ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive 元気で げんきで genki de
Conditional 元気なら（ば） げんきなら（ば） genki nara (ba)
Provisional 元気だったら げんきだったら genki dattara
Volitional 元気だろう げんきだろう genki darō
Adverbial 元気に げんきに genki ni
Degree 元気さ げんきさ genkisa

Noun

元(げん)気(き) • (genki) 

  1. the fundamental force that permeates through all matter and life
    • 835, Koubou Daishi, Shōryōshū, volume 2:
      元氣倐動して葦牙乍ちに驚く
      genki shukudō shite ige tachimachi ni odoroku
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 1687, Hōjō Dansui, Kōshoku Hasha Genshō, volume 1:
      元気(げんき)いまだわかたず、混(こん)じて一(いち)とす
      genki imada wakatazu, konjite ichi to su
      the life force not yet divided, combined as one
  2. health, healthfulness
  3. (personal) energy
    元(げん)気(き)を出(だ)す
    genki o dasu
    to cheer up; to recover one's strength
  4. good spirits; vitality; cheer; liveliness; enthusiasm
    元(げん)気(き)よく答(こた)える
    genki yoku kotaeru
    to answer enthusiastically
    元(げん)気(き)いっぱいでかわいい
    genki ippai de kawaii
    cute and full of energy

Proper noun

元(げん)気(き) • (Genki) 

  1. a male given name

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
元 気
もと
Grade: 2 		き
Grade: 1
kun’yomi kan’on
Alternative spelling
元氣 (kyūjitai)

Compound of 元 (moto, “origin, beginning”) +‎ 気 (ki, “sense; mood; energy; spirit”).

Pronunciation

Proper noun

元(もと)気(き) • (Motoki) 

  1. a male given name

References

  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN
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