The Meaning of akirame [諦め] In Japanese

諦め
あきらめ
Romaji: akirame N5

What does 諦め mean?

Translation and Meaning

giving up, resignation, acceptance

Definition

What does 諦め mean? It refers to the act or state of giving up or accepting that a desired outcome is unlikely, often involving a mental adjustment rather than continued effort. It describes choosing to stop pursuing a goal and to move on, or simply accepting a situation as it is.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • State of giving up or renunciation, especially regarding a goal or hope.
  • Acceptance of reality; coming to terms with a result or limitation.
  • Emotional stance tied to surrender, often linked with the expression 諦めがつく to indicate a settled resignation.

Composition

  • 諦: conveys the idea of giving up or conceding; used here as the root concept that anchors the noun form.
  • め: a suffix that turns the verb stem into the noun indicating the act or state of the action.

Usage

Used as a noun to denote the mental state of surrender; common in everyday speech and semi-formal writing when discussing plans, expectations, or disappointments. The related verb 諦める expresses the action of giving up, and fixed expressions like 諦めがつく describe reaching a sense of resignation.

Variations

  • 断念 (dannen) — giving up on a plan
  • 放棄 (hōki) — abandonment or renunciation

Example Phrases

  • 今日は用事があって、駅前で友人と待ち合わせを諦めた。
    Kyou wa youji ga atte, ekimae de yuujin to machiawase o akirameta.
    I had something to do today, so I couldn’t meet a friend at the station.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (kyou wa) – today
    • 用事があって (youji ga atte) – having something to do
    • 駅前で (ekimae de) – at the station
    • 友人と (yuujin to) – with a friend
    • 待ち合わせを (machiawase o) – meeting
    • 諦めた (akirameta) – gave up
    Aqui, 「用事」 significa ‘assuntos/pendências’ e a expressão 「用事があって」 usa a forma て para indicar razão.
  • 諦めずに毎日練習すれば、きっと道は開ける。
    Akiramezu ni mainichi renshū sureba, kitto michi wa akeru.
    If you don’t give up and practice every day, the path will surely open.
    Lista:
    • 諦めずに (akiramezu ni) – without giving up
    • 毎日 (mainichi) – every day
    • 練習すれば (renshū sureba) – if you practice
    • きっと (kitto) – surely
    • 道は (michi wa) – the path
    • 開ける (akeru) – will open
    Here the noun 諦め is used in the form 「諦めずに」 meaning ‘without giving up’.
  • 財布が空っぽで、今日は外食を諦めた。
    Saifu ga karappo de, kyou wa gaishoku o akirameta.
    My wallet is empty, so I gave up eating out today.
    Lista:
    • 財布が (saifu ga) – wallet
    • 空っぽで (karappo de) – empty state connective de
    • 今日は (kyou wa) – today
    • 外食を (gaishoku o) – dining out
    • 諦めた (akirameta) – gave up
    「空っぽ」 means empty; here it describes the wallet’s state and is linked with で to explain the reason for not dining out.
諦め