元気

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

(Tokyo) げんき [géꜜǹkì] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]^[2]
IPA^(key): [ɡẽ̞ŋʲkʲi]

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))

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?
energetic
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.
It looks like our club president is having another good day.
(literally, “The club president looks pretty peppy today too.”)

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)

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
  the primordial energy suddenly stirs and the young reed shoots startle
- 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
health, healthfulness
(personal) energy
元(げん)気(き)を出(だ)す
genki o dasu
to cheer up; to recover one's strength
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)

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(もと) (moto, “origin, beginning”) + 気(き) (ki, “sense; mood; energy; spirit”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [mo̞to̞kʲi]

Proper noun

元(もと)気(き) • (Motoki)

a male given name

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ 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), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

[DJR-1] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[NHK-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), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

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