The Meaning of kimochi [気持ち] In Japanese

気持ち
きもち
Romaji: kimochi N4

What does 気持ち mean?

Translation and Meaning

feeling, sensation, mood, emotion

Definition

気持ち (kimochi) means the subjective feeling or emotional state someone experiences; it covers mental reactions, brief moods, and the personal, first-person sense of comfort or discomfort and is used to report how an event, person, or situation is experienced from the inside.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • 1. A small token or gift offered to express thanks or apology, where the object represents the giver’s sentiment rather than material value.
  • 2. The degree of sincerity or emotional commitment behind an action, used to praise how much heart someone put into something.
  • 3. A conversational softener or politeness device employed to express modesty, sympathy, or to make requests less direct.

Composition

  • 気 (ki) — energy, mind, atmosphere; the part that denotes mental or emotional state.
  • 持 (mo) + ち (chi) — from the verb meaning to hold/possess, with chi forming a noun; together indicating ‘that which is held’.
Combined, they convey the notion of an internal state one ‘holds’—the inner quality or sentiment a person carries.

Usage

Common across spoken and written registers, used in casual conversation, service language, literature and advertising; appears with adjectives to describe comfort/discomfort, follows particles to state someone’s inner reaction, and is used when offering small gifts or softening statements—politeness is adjusted by surrounding grammar and honorifics rather than the word itself.
💡 Tips
Imagine holding a soft rice cake (mochi) close to your 気 (ki): what you “hold” inside is your 気持ち (kimochi), an easy mental image linking the parts to meaning.

Variations

  • 感情 (kanjō) — emotion
  • 気分 (kibun) — mood
  • 心地 (kokochi) — sensation, comfort
  • 感覚 (kankaku) — sense, perception
  • 無関心 (mukanshin) — indifference (antonym)

Example Phrases

  • 彼女はみんなの前で静かに自分の気持ちを現す。
    Kanojo wa minna no mae de shizuka ni jibun no kimochi o arawasu.
    She quietly reveals her own feelings in front of everyone.
    Lista:
    • 彼女は (Kanojo wa) – she
    • みんなの前で (minna no mae de) – in front of everyone
    • 静かに (shizuka ni) – quietly
    • 自分の気持ちを (jibun no kimochi o) – one’s own feelings
    • 現す (arawasu) – to reveal/express
    現す here means ‘to reveal/express’ one’s feelings, as in 自分の気持ちを現す. Put 「」around the kanji for emphasis.
  • 職場で 先輩へ 尊敬 の 気持ち を 伝えた。
    Shokuba de senpai e sonkei no kimochi o tsutaeta.
    At work, I expressed my respect to my senior.
    Lista:
    • 職場で (shokuba de) – at the workplace
    • 先輩へ (senpai e) – to my senior
    • 尊敬 (sonkei) – respect
    • の (no) – of
    • 気持ち (kimochi) – feeling
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 伝えた (tsutaeta) – expressed
    In this sentence, 「尊敬」 is used as a noun meaning ‘respect’ and is paired with の気持ち to express ‘the feeling of respect’.
気持ち