Takashi's Japanese Dictionary

A blog for learning Japanese that introduces Japanese slang words and Idioms!

  • Home
  • Posts ▾
    • Latest Posts
    • Featured Posts
    • Phrases by Topic
    • Slang
    • Idiom
    • Column
    • Grammar
    • Reading Comprehension
    • 英語に関する記事 (in Japanese)
  • Lesson Slides ▾
    • For Complete Beginners
    • For Intermediate/Advanced Learners
  • Tools ▾
    • Furigana Generator
    • Gairaigo/Wasei-Eigo Converter
  • What’s New
  • Social Media
  • About
You are here: Home / Column / Meaning of 遠慮 (enryo) and 空気を読む (kuuki wo yomu)

Meaning of 遠慮 (enryo) and 空気を読む (kuuki wo yomu)

September 8, 2020

As you may know, there are many Japanese words and expressions that are untranslatable in English, and arguably many of them are relevant to our Japanese unique mindsets. Among those words, this article introduces two essential Japanese words – 遠慮する and 空気を読む – to help you understand the Japanese culture more!

Table of Contents

  • 1. 遠慮する (えんりょする、enryo suru)
    • Pronunciation
    • Definition
    • Example sentences
    • Related Word: 遠慮のかたまり
  • 2. 空気を読む (くうきをよむ, kuuki wo yomu)
    • Pronunciation
    • Definition
    • Example Sentences
    • Related Word: KY (けーわい)
      • Example

1. 遠慮する (えんりょする、enryo suru)

Pronunciation

https://takashionary.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/20200908-223640.m4a

 

Definition

遠慮する (or just 遠慮 as a noun) basically means “to hold back or refrain from doing something out of consideration for others”. In other words, it means you put yourself into someone’s shoes and refrain from doing something for their benefits. Let me give you some examples: when your boss says that he/she will treat you at a restaurant, you may 遠慮する (“hold back”) and order a relatively cheap meal on the menu; when it turns out that you and your best friend are falling in love with the same person, you may 遠慮する (“hold back”) and let your friend have a date with him/her; and when your colleague says that you can text him/her whenever you’ve got some questions, you may still 遠慮する (“hold back”) doing so because actually he/she looks very busy. Interestingly, this word is also used when you prohibit something politely or decline an offer, as you can see in the 4th and 5th example sentences, respectively.

One thing you should know about this word is its reading/pronunciation; technically it reads ” えんりょ(enryo)” and that’s what you should write in your kanji exams, but when you pronounce it in speech, it’s more natural to say “えんりょう (enryou)”.

Example sentences

1. 今日は僕(ぼく)が君達(きみたち)におごるよ。遠慮はいらないからね。
Today I’ll treat you. You don’t need 遠慮.

2. 遠慮しないで、どんどん食(た)べて!
Don’t do 遠慮 and eat more and more (as you want)!

3. 遠慮して、一番(いちばん)安(やす)いのを注文(ちゅうもん)した
I did 遠慮 and ordered the cheapest one.

4. 熱(ねつ)がある方は、参加(さんか)をご遠慮ください
Please do 遠慮 (refrain from) joining (us) if you have a fever

5. 誠(まこと)にありがたいお誘(さそ)いですが 、今回(こんかい)はご遠慮させていただきたく思(おも)います
Although I truly appreciate your invitation, please allow me to hold back accepting it.

Related Word: 遠慮のかたまり

遠慮のかたまり, which literally means “hold-back lump”, is a deep and local slang word in the Kansai dialect. It describes a last piece of food on a plate shared by many people – the last portion that nobody reaches for because of 遠慮, e.g. a last slice of pizza. Although it’s not a very common word, you may try to use it when you’re talking with people from Kansai and impress them!

See also my previous blog post:

遠慮の塊 (Enryo no katamari) Meaning ‘A Last Piece of a Shared Dish’ in Kansai Dialect

2. 空気を読む (くうきをよむ, kuuki wo yomu)

Pronunciation

https://takashionary.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/20200908-223708.m4a

Definition

空気を読む literally means “to read the air” and figuratively means “to follow the atmosphere, i.e., implicit thoughts shared among people around you”. In other words, it means doing what you’re implicitly expected to do, as to keep the harmony. Whether it’s good or bad, this behaviour can be very important in Japan, as numerous things can be expressed implicitly in Japanese. Here are some examples of the acts of “reading the air”:

  • Pretend you didn’t see someone’s embarrassing mistakes/fiasco
  • Do not interrupt your friend who is trying to ask someone out
  • Follow the “suggestions” given by your boss

Example Sentences

1. 本当(ほんとう)は行きたくなかったけど、空気を読んで上司 (じょうし) の飲(の)み会(かい)に参加(さんか)した 。
Although I didn’t actually wanna go, I “read the air” and joined my boss’s drinking party.

2. 空気を読んで、彼に詳(くわ)しい理由(りゆう)を聞(き)かなかった
Reading the air, I did not ask him about the detailed reasons.

Related Word: KY (けーわい)

KY is an old-fashioned slang term that derives from an abbreviation for “空気の読めない” (Kuuki no Yomenai), meaning “cannot read the air”. Usually, it describes people or behaviour that are against the “air”. For instance, you might say “彼ってKYだよね” meaning “He is KY” if he always spoils a good mood like a party pooper. This slang word used to be very popular among young people about 10-15 years ago, and as I said, now it sounds a bit old-fashioned. However, you’d still see or hear this word at times on the Internet or in a casual conversation.

Example

You:「今週(こんしゅう)一緒(いっしょ)に映画(えいが)行かない?」
“Do you wanna go to the movies with me this week?”

Your Crush: 「いいよ!行こう行こう!」
“Yeah! Let’s go let’s go!”

KY popping up out of nowhere:「いいね!僕もいく!!」
“Awesome! I’ll go, too!!”

Filed Under: Column, Featured Posts

Related Posts

  • Japanese Conversation Practice to Master 気-related Idioms

  • 正義マン (Justice Man): “Warriors” Against “Eat-in Tax Evasion” in Japan

  • Meaning of 相合傘 (ai ai gasa): Lovely Dream of Kids in Japan

    Meaning of 相合傘 (ai ai gasa): Lovely Dream of Kids in Japan

  • Meaning of the Reiwa Era (令和) in Japanese and Its Origin

    Meaning of the Reiwa Era (令和) in Japanese and Its Origin

  • 4 Meanings of ノリ (Nori) in Japanese Slang

    4 Meanings of ノリ (Nori) in Japanese Slang

Featured Posts:

  • Japanese Conversation Practice to Master 気-related Idioms
  • “Gakkī Loss”: Meaning of ロス (“Loss”) in Japanese
  • 30+ Japanese Words for “Very”: Synonyms of とても (totemo)
  • 40 Ways of Saying "Many" in Japanese (Ooi, Ippai, Takusan, and More...)
  • 8 Funny and Cute Japanese Cat Idioms
  • Success Story of Ichiro Suzuki: What He Means to Japanese Baseball Fans

Popular Posts:

  • “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” Could Mean “I love You” in Japanese
  • Meaning of 卍 (manji) and マジ卍 (Maji manji) in Japanese
  • Meaning of Kenjataimu (賢者タイム, Kenja Time) in Japanese Slang
  • なんでやねん (nandeyanen): Meaning and Usage
  • Meaning and Difference of ガチ (gachi) and マジ (maji) in Japanese
  • 50 Japanese Words and Idioms about Love & Relationship
  • 4 Meanings of ノリ (Nori) in Japanese Slang
  • Meaning of “May Disease” (五月病, gogatsu byou) in Japanese
  • Boku, Ore, Watashi, Atashi: 15 Japanese Person Pronouns
  • 5 Meanings of ペラペラ (pera pera) in Japanese
  • 40 Ways of Saying “Many/Much” in Japanese (Ooi, Ippai, Takusan, …)
  • Japanese Wasei-Eigo List (“Japlish”) and Their Meanings
  • 凸, 凹, 〆, 卍: Meaning of Weird and Funny Japanese Kanji
  • Funny Japanese Gaming Slang Terms
  • ありがた迷惑 (arigata meiwaku) Meaning “Unwelcome Favour” in Japanese
  • Japanese Slang 帰宅部 (kitaku bu) Meaning ‘Go-Home Club’
  • 20 Japanese Words and Onomatopoeia About Rain (雨, ame)
  • Meaning of “It will snow/rain a lot tomorrow” in Japanese (+ Other Languages)
  • 9 Essential Kansai Dialect (Kansai-ben) Words and Phrases
  • コミュ障 (komyushou) Meaning ‘Suck at Communication’ in Japanese
  • 闇鍋 (yaminabe): Meaning “Dark Hot Pot” with Random Ingredients
  • Meaning of ペーパードライバー (‘Paper Driver’) in Japlish (Japanese English)
  • 40 Funny Japanese Old Slang Words to Sound like Oyaji (Old Men)
  • 炎上 (enjou) Meaning “Come Under Fire” in Japanese
  • List of Japanese Abbreviated Words and Phrases
  • Meaning of “Three-Day Monk” (三日坊主, mikka bouzu) in Japanese
  • Meaning of あかん (akan), the Essential Kansai-Dialect Word
  • Japanese and English Words that Rhyme in Both Languages
  • とにかく (Tonikaku) Means More Than “Anyway”
  • Essential Grammar in Kansai Dialect (関西弁, Kansai ben)

Search on Takashionary
(e.g. 'food', 'cat', 'idiom')

If you like this page, follow me on social media!

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ブログランキング・にほんブログ村へPVアクセスランキング にほんブログ村

Follow me!

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Search on Takashionary
(e.g. 'food', 'cat', 'idiom')

Trending Posts

  • “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” Could Mean “I love You” in Japanese
  • Meaning of 卍 (manji) and マジ卍 (Maji manji) in Japanese
  • Meaning of Kenjataimu (賢者タイム, Kenja Time) in Japanese Slang
  • List of Japanese Words to Describe Personality
  • 凸, 凹, 〆, 卍: Meaning of Weird and Funny Japanese Kanji
  • 50 Japanese Words and Idioms about Love & Relationship
  • Funny Japanese Gaming Slang Terms
  • 12 Japanese Idioms and Metaphors about Baseball (Yakyū)
  • なんでやねん (nandeyanen): Meaning and Usage
  • 40 Ways of Saying “Many/Much” in Japanese (Ooi, Ippai, Takusan, …)
  • Meaning and Difference of ガチ (gachi) and マジ (maji) in Japanese
  • Boku, Ore, Watashi, Atashi: 15 Japanese Person Pronouns
  • コミュ障 (komyushou) Meaning ‘Suck at Communication’ in Japanese
  • Japanese Wasei-Eigo List (“Japlish”) and Their Meanings
  • Meaning of あかん (akan), the Essential Kansai-Dialect Word
  • 9 Essential Kansai Dialect (Kansai-ben) Words and Phrases
  • 4 Meanings of ノリ (Nori) in Japanese Slang
  • Japanese Conversation Practice to Master 気-related Idioms
  • とにかく (Tonikaku) Means More Than “Anyway”
  • 5 Meanings of ペラペラ (pera pera) in Japanese
  • ありがた迷惑 (arigata meiwaku) Meaning “Unwelcome Favour” in Japanese
  • List of Intriguing Japanese Compound Words
  • Meaning of “It will snow/rain a lot tomorrow” in Japanese (+ Other Languages)
  • 30+ Japanese Words for “Very”: Synonyms of とても (totemo)
  • Puzzling Japanese Kanji Polysemes (With Different Readings)
  • 40 Funny Japanese Old Slang Words to Sound like Oyaji (Old Men)
  • 5 Meanings of 気 (ki) and 30 気-related Phrases/Idioms
  • Meaning of Kaedama, Menkata and Barikata of Ramen Noodles
  • 深夜テンション (shinya tension) Meaning “Midnight High” in Japanese Slang
  • Essential Grammar in Kansai Dialect (関西弁, Kansai ben)

Popular Posts

  • “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” Could Mean “I love You” in Japanese
  • 30+ Essential Japanese Words to Describe Food
  • 9 Essential Kansai Dialect (Kansai-ben) Words and Phrases
  • 十八番 (ohako) Meaning “The Songs You Sing the Best”
  • Boku, Ore, Watashi, Atashi: 15 Japanese Person Pronouns
  • ありがた迷惑 (arigata meiwaku) Meaning “Unwelcome Favour” in Japanese
  • Meaning of Kaedama, Menkata and Barikata of Ramen Noodles
  • Meaning of Kenjataimu (賢者タイム, Kenja Time) in Japanese Slang
  • Japanese Idiom “Put on a Cat”, 猫をかぶる (neko wo kaburu)
  • Meaning and Difference of ガチ (gachi) and マジ (maji) in Japanese

Words by Theme

  • 30+ Essential Japanese Words to Describe Food
  • 9 Essential Kansai Dialect (Kansai-ben) Words and Phrases
  • Boku, Ore, Watashi, Atashi: 15 Japanese Person Pronouns

Idiom

  • 十八番 (ohako) Meaning “The Songs You Sing the Best”
  • ありがた迷惑 (arigata meiwaku) Meaning “Unwelcome Favour” in Japanese
  • Japanese Idiom “Put on a Cat”, 猫をかぶる (neko wo kaburu)

Japlish

  • 深夜テンション (shinya tension) Meaning “Midnight High” in Japanese Slang
  • Japanese Wasei-Eigo List (“Japlish”) and Their Meanings
  • Meaning of ペーパードライバー (‘Paper Driver’) in Japlish (Japanese English)

Slang

  • Meaning of *活: 婚活 (Konkatsu), 就活/終活 (Shūkatsu) and 朝活 (Asakatsu)
  • 女たらし (onna tarashi) Meaning ‘Lady’s Man’ in Japanese
  • オワコン (Owakon) Meaning ‘Old-Fashioned’ in Japanese Slang

Column

  • “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” Could Mean “I love You” in Japanese
  • Success Story of Ichiro: What He Means to Japanese Baseball Fans
  • Meaning of 遠慮 (enryo) and 空気を読む (kuuki wo yomu)

Grammar

  • Meaning of 全然 (Zenzen) Without a Negative Form ない (Nai)
  • Essential Grammar in Kansai Dialect (関西弁, Kansai ben)
  • Ageru, Kureru, and Morau: Meaning, Grammar and Difference

日本語記事

  • 韻を踏むお茶目な英語表現、単語、フレーズ、イディオム30+
  • 頭に情景が浮かぶ面白い英語フレーズ、イディオム30+
  • many, much, a lot ofの類語、 言い換え英語表現50+の使い分け
  • 直訳すると変な英語表現、イディオム12
  • 「他界する」を意味するユニークな英語イディオム8選

Categories

Copyright © 2022 · All Rights Reserved