The Meaning of umaretsuki [生まれつき] In Japanese

生まれつき
うまれつき
Romaji: umaretsuki N4

What does 生まれつき mean?

Translation and Meaning

inborn, innate, congenital

Definition

What does 生まれつき mean? It means something you are born with; innate or natural from birth, not learned. It is used to describe traits, abilities, or conditions that are inherent rather than acquired; it appears across casual and formal contexts.

Type

noun (na-adjective) (名詞/形容動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Innate traits or abilities present at birth rather than developed later
  • Used for congenital conditions, natural dispositions, or inherent characteristics
  • Can describe talents that are natural rather than improved by training

Etymology

生まれ birth; つき with/attached; together they form a native compound meaning inherent from birth.

Origin

A native Japanese expression with long-standing usage in classical and modern language to denote states or traits present from birth.

Composition

  • 生: birth, life
  • まれ: stem from 生まれる meaning to be born
  • つき: with/attached; here indicating an inherent state accompanying birth

Usage

Used as a noun or adverbial phrase to describe innate traits or congenital conditions; in casual speech it can modify nouns with の, as in 生まれつきの才能; in formal writing it’s used similarly to convey inborn characteristics; typical contexts include genetics, psychology, and everyday description.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a baby wearing a badge that says born with X; 生 stands for birth and つき means with, together conveying something you are born with.

Variations

  • 生来の — innate; seirai no
  • 天性の — innate; tensei no
  • 先天的な — congenital/innate; sententeki
  • 後天的な — acquired; gotenteki

Example Phrases

  • 彼は 生まれつきの 勇気で どんな 危機も 冷静に 乗り越える。
    Kare wa umaretsuki no yuuki de donna kiki mo reisei ni norikoeru.
    He calmly overcomes any crisis with innate courage.
    Lista:
    • 彼は (Kare wa) – he
    • 生まれつきの (umaretsuki no) – innate
    • 勇気で (yuuki de) – with courage
    • どんな (donna) – what kind of
    • 危機も (kiki mo) – crises
    • 冷静に (reisei ni) – calmly
    • 乗り越える (norikoeru) – overcome
    Core grammar: 「生まれつき」 means ‘innate, from birth’; used before a noun to modify it, as in 「生まれつきの勇気」.
生まれつき