真剣

• 読み: しんけん
• ローマ字: shinken
• 漢字の分解: 真 (shin) — true, genuine; 剣 (ken) — sword
• 発音: /ɕiɴ.keɴ/

意味

Serious; earnest; genuine. Describes wholehearted commitment or intensity.

A na-adjective often used adverbially with に (真剣に考える, to think seriously). Originally referred to a real sword (as opposed to a practice one), and this origin colours its modern meaning — doing something with the same intensity as a real sword fight.

例文

1. 彼は真剣な顔で話し始めた。
2. 将来のことを真剣に考える時期だ。
3. 先生は学生に真剣に取り組むよう言った。

使い方ガイド

場面: discussion, study, work

トーン: intense

起源と歴史

Compound of 真 (shin, true/genuine) and 剣 (ken, sword). Literally 'a real sword' — in kendo and martial arts, a 真剣 is an actual blade as opposed to a wooden practice sword (木剣). The figurative meaning of earnestness grew from this contrast.

文化的背景

時代: Medieval

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal