The Meaning of kōfun [興奮] In Japanese

興奮
こうふん
Romaji: kōfun N3

What does 興奮 mean?

Translation and Meaning

excitement, arousal

Definition

興奮 means a state of heightened excitement or arousal, emotional or physical. It covers feelings of thrill, stimulation, or eager anticipation in response to events or stimuli, and is commonly expressed with the verb 興奮する to describe becoming excited or stimulated.

Type

Noun, suru verb (名詞, する動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Emotional excitement: a lively mental state due to anticipation, joy, or surprise.
  • Physiological arousal: heightened bodily responsiveness in situations like competition or performance.
  • Sexual arousal: heightened sexual excitement in clinical or casual discourse.

Etymology

kō and fun are the on’yomi readings of 興 and 奮 that converge in this native Sino-Japanese compound; the pronunciation kōfun reflects the combination of these kanji readings rather than a direct borrowing.

Composition

  • 興: rise, flourish; to excite
  • 奮: to strive, exert, stir up
  • Combination: the two characters convey rising energy and active excitement, yielding the sense of arousal or heightened emotion

Usage

Used as a noun to describe a state of excitement or arousal; can take the suru-verb 興奮する to express becoming excited; in formal contexts (psychology, medicine, journalism) it conveys physiological or emotional arousal, while in casual speech it often conveys enthusiastic anticipation.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a rising energy that meets a determined push, as 興 meaning rise and 奮 meaning to strive; picture a crowd ‘rising’ as a drumbeat drives someone to push forward—this helps recall 興奮 as excitement or arousal.

Variations

  • 高揚 (kōyō) — exaltation
  • 刺激 (shigeki) — stimulation
  • 熱狂 (nekkyō) — frenzy or fervor
  • 冷静さ (reisei-sa) — calmness (antonym)

Example Phrases

  • 試合の結果を聞いて、彼は興奮して跳ねた。
    Shiai no kekka o kiite, kare wa kōfun shite haneta.
    When he heard the result of the game, he was excited and jumped.
    Lista:
    • 試合 (shiai) – match
    • の (no) – of
    • 結果 (kekka) – result
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 聞いて (kiite) – hearing/while listening
    • 彼 (kare) – he
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 興奮 (kōfun) – excitement
    • して (shite) – te-form
    • 跳ねた (haneta) – jumped
    「興奮」 é um substantivo que significa excitação; neste contexto ele usa 興奮して para expressar o estado com a forma て (te-form), ligando ao verbo 跳ねた.
興奮