気兼ね|きがねkigane[0]heiban (flat)
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Definitions
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbconstraint; reserve; feeling hesitant; being afraid of troubling someone
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 気兼ねする（きがねする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 気兼ねします（きがねします） |
| Negative (nai) | 気兼ねしない（きがねしない） |
| polite (masen) | 気兼ねしません（きがねしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 気兼ねせず・気兼ねせぬ（きがねせず・きがねせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 気兼ねした（きがねした） |
| polite (mashita) | 気兼ねしました（きがねしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 気兼ねしなかった（きがねしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 気兼ねしませんでした（きがねしませんでした） |
| Te form | 気兼ねして（きがねして） |
| Potential | 気兼ねできる（きがねできる） |
| Passive | 気兼ねされる（きがねされる） |
| Causative | 気兼ねさせる（きがねさせる） |
| Causative passive | 気兼ねさせられる（きがねさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 気兼ねすれば（きがねすれば） |
| tara | 気兼ねしたら（きがねしたら） |
| Volitional | 気兼ねしよう（きがねしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 気兼ねしましょう（きがねしましょう） |
| Imperative | 気兼ねしろ（きがねしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Related気詰まりさNeutralDescribes a stiff, awkward atmosphere; the emphasis is on the situation itself. 「気兼ね」 is about holding back for fear of troubling someone.
- Related窮屈さNeutralConveys feeling cramped or hemmed in, typically by space or rules; 「気兼ね」 is about curbing oneself out of consideration for others.
- Related居心地の悪さNeutralRefers to the discomfort of being in a place, with the emphasis on the environment; 「気兼ね」 is concern directed at other people.
- Related落ちつかなさNeutralMeans being restless and unable to settle, with the focus on inner unease; 「気兼ね」 is about worrying that you may be putting someone out.
- Related気づまりさNeutralThe kana spelling of 「気詰まり」: an awkward, constrained atmosphere. 「気兼ね」 is about hesitation out of consideration for others.
- Related気詰りさNeutralA spelling of 「気詰まり」 with the okurigana omitted; the same awkward constraint. 「気兼ね」 is about holding back for others' sake.
- Antonym図々しいずうずうしいNeutralShameless and brazen, acting without any reserve — the opposite of the polite hesitancy of 「気兼ね」.
- Antonym無遠慮ぶえんりょNeutralUtterly unrestrained and cheeky, with no thought of courtesy — the opposite of the considerate restraint of 「気兼ね」.
Use 「気兼ね」 for holding back because you fear troubling someone, as in 「気兼ねなく」 or 「誰にも気兼ねしない」. For a stiff atmosphere say 「気詰まり」, for feeling cramped 「窮屈」, for discomfort in a place 「居心地の悪さ」, and for brazen behaviour 「図々しい」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
