浮気

• Reading: うわき
• Romaji: uwaki
• Kanji breakdown: 浮 (float/drift) + 気 (spirit/feelings) → floating feelings, i.e. fickle heart / infidelity
• Pronunciation: /u.wa.ki/

Meaning

Cheating on a romantic partner or having an affair — being unfaithful in a relationship.

浮気 covers a range of infidelity from emotional cheating to physical affairs. The boundary of what counts as 浮気 is a frequent topic of debate — some consider flirty LINE messages or eating dinner alone with someone else as 浮気, while others only count physical intimacy. The phrase 浮気性 (uwaki-shō) describes someone with a tendency to cheat.

Examples

1. 浮気がバレて、彼女にめちゃくちゃ怒られた。 My girlfriend found out I was cheating and she was absolutely furious.
2. 何をしたら浮気になるか、人によって基準が違うよね。 What counts as cheating varies from person to person, right?
3. 浮気する人は何回でもするって言うけど、本当かな。 They say once a cheater, always a cheater — but is that really true?

Usage Guide

Context: friends, relationship discussion, media

Tone: serious, accusatory

Do Say

• 浮気は絶対許せない。 (I can never forgive cheating.)
• 二人きりでご飯行ったら浮気？ (Is eating out alone with someone else cheating?)

Don't Say

• 冗談でも「浮気してるでしょ」は関係を壊しかねない (Even jokingly saying 'you're cheating, aren't you?' can damage a relationship)

Common Mistakes

• Assuming 浮気 only means physical cheating — many Japanese people consider emotional infidelity or secret meetings as 浮気 too

Origin & History

From 浮 (float/fickle) + 気 (spirit/feelings). Literally 'floating feelings,' suggesting someone whose heart is not anchored to one person. An old Japanese compound that has been used for centuries.

Cultural Context

Era: Centuries-old term, continuously relevant

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. The definition of what constitutes 浮気 is a perennial debate topic.