気のせい (ki no sei): Meaning | 英訳

Definition

気(き)のせい (ki no sei) literally means “because of (one’s) 気 (mind)” and figuratively “(something is) just one’s imagination/not real”.

Usage

It is often used as “気のせいか”, which is often translated as “maybe it’s just me” in English.

Example

誰(だれ)かそこに立(た)っていると思(おも)ったけど、気のせいか。
I thought someone would be standing there, but maybe just me (just my imagination).

Related Words

Synonym

思(おも)い違(ちが)い: think of/feel something incorrectly

Antonym

確（たし）かに: certainly

See also: 30 Japanese Phrases about 気: What Does 気 (ki) Exactly Mean?

5 Meanings of 気 (ki) and 30 気-related Japanese Phrases