気だるい

• Reading: けだるい
• Romaji: kedarui
• Kanji breakdown: 気 (ke) — feeling, spirit; だるい — heavy, lethargic (usually written in hiragana)
• Pronunciation: /ke.da.ɾɯ.i/

Meaning

Languid; listless; sluggish; weary. Describes a feeling of heaviness and low energy, often from fatigue, illness, or oppressive weather.

An i-adjective combining 気 (ke — spirit, feeling) and だるい (darui — heavy, lethargic). It describes a diffuse physical and mental heaviness — not sharp pain, but a pervasive sense that everything requires more effort than it should. Commonly evoked in descriptions of summer heat, recovery from illness, or the malaise of a grey afternoon.

Examples

1. 長時間の移動で体が気だるく、何もする気が起きなかった。 After traveling for so long, my body felt languid and I had no motivation to do anything.
2. 梅雨の時期は気だるい空気が続き、やる気が出にくい。 During the rainy season, the sluggish air lingers and it's hard to stay motivated.
3. 気だるい午後、彼はソファに寝そべりながら本を読んでいた。 On that listless afternoon, he lay on the sofa reading a book.

Usage Guide

Context: physical sensation, weather description, literary mood, daily life

Tone: languorous, introspective

Origin & History

Compound of 気 (ke — spirit, feeling) and だるい (darui — heavy, lethargic). だるい itself likely derives from a root related to sluggish or drooping sensations.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal