気に病む

• Reading: きにやむ
• Romaji: ki ni yamu
• Kanji breakdown: 気 (ki) — spirit, mind; 病 (byō/ya) — illness, to be sick
• Pronunciation: /ki.ni.ja.mɯ/

Meaning

To worry about; to fret over; to be anxious about something and let it affect one's wellbeing.

An expression using Group 1 (godan) verb 病む (to be ill). Literally 'one's spirit becomes sick over something,' meaning to worry so much that it affects one's mental or physical health. Stronger than 心配する — implies the worry is causing genuine distress. Often used when advising someone not to worry excessively.

Examples

1. そんなに気に病むことはないよ。 There's no need to stress yourself out over that.
2. 失敗を気に病んで夜も眠れなかった。 I was so eaten up with worry over the failure that I couldn't sleep at night.
3. 他人の評価を気に病むのはやめたほうがいい。 You should stop letting other people's opinions get to you.

Usage Guide

Context: advice, mental health, interpersonal

Tone: empathetic

Origin & History

From 気 (spirit, mind) and 病む (to be ill, to suffer). The expression captures how excessive worry can make the spirit sick — a mind-body connection recognised in Japanese culture.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal