Meaning
The pattern ~気味 indicates a slight tendency, condition, or trend of becoming something. It emphasizes having a somewhat negative or unwanted quality, and is used to express the speaker's own subjective feeling about gradual changes. It's commonly used when something is moving in an undesirable direction.
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 动词(ます形) | 気味 |
| 名词 | 気味 |
Examples
-
お盆休み中に毎日沢山食べてしまって、今、太り気味だから、ジムに通い始めたのよ。
I ate a lot every day during the Obon holiday, so now I'm gaining weight a bit, which is why I started going to the gym. -
最近疲れ気味なので今週末の予定をキャンセルして、家で休むことにした。
I've been feeling somewhat tired lately, so I canceled all my plans for this weekend and decided to rest at home. -
豆腐はとても健康にいい食べ物です。感邪気味の身体に優しいです。
Tofu is a very healthy food. It's gentle on bodies that are showing signs of catching a cold.
Summary
- ~気味 expresses a slight tendency or mild state of becoming something, typically something undesirable
- Formation: verb (masu-stem) + 気味 or noun + 気味
- Similar to ~がち but less emphatic; 気味 means 'slightly in that state' while がち means 'tends to always become that way'