健気

• 読み: けなげ
• ローマ字: kenage
• 漢字の分解: 健 (ken) — healthy, strong, robust; 気 (ge) — spirit, disposition
• 発音: /ke.na.ɡe/

意味

Admirable; brave; gallant; plucky. Describes someone — especially a child, woman, or person in a difficult situation — who faces hardship with quiet courage and determination.

A na-adjective expressing a touching admiration for someone who perseveres bravely despite being in a vulnerable position. The emotional tone is warm and slightly melancholic — one feels moved watching their effort. Common in describing children who work hard despite loss, young people facing adversity, or anyone who endures quietly without complaint.

例文

1. 親を亡くした後も健気に働く彼女の姿に、周囲は胸を打たれた。
2. 小さな体で一生懸命練習する子供の健気な姿が愛おしかった。
3. 健気に笑いながらも、彼の目には疲れがにじんでいた。

使い方ガイド

場面: character description, emotional scenes, literature, narrative

トーン: warm, admiring, slightly melancholic

起源と歴史

Historically written 殊勝 or 健気, with 健 (ken — healthy, strong) and 気 (ge/ki — spirit). The earlier sense was more general bravery, but the modern nuance of touching gallantry in the face of hardship has become dominant.

文化的背景

時代: Classical–Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal