Share this link via
Or copy link
Kanji for Energy
The kanji most commonly used for "Energy" are 気、勢、精.
気
Kanji that mean Energy
Japanese has no single character that matches the physical term energy; for that it uses the loanword エネルギー. What the characters cover is energy in the human sense, and they divide it.
勢 is energy as momentum — the force of something already in motion. 勢い (ikioi) is a surge or a run of momentum, and 勢力 is the strength of a force or a faction. It describes a situation as readily as a person.
精 is energy as concentrated vitality, the refined essence of a thing. 精力 is the ordinary word for vigor and stamina, and 精神 is spirit or mind.
気 is the character most people are actually reaching for. It is the energy of a person’s state: 元気 is health and liveliness, 気力 is willpower and drive, and to say someone has no energy left you say 気力がない.
Words using Energy kanji
Everyday Japanese vocabulary built from the characters above.
-
人気
にんき
popularity; public favor; condition (e.g. market)
-
勢力
せいりょく
influence; power; might
-
精神
せいしん
mind; spirit; soul
-
景気
けいき
business conditions; the market; economic activity
-
姿勢
しせい
posture; pose; position
-
精神的
せいしんてき
mental; spiritual; emotional
-
気持ち
きもち
feeling; sensation; mood
-
態勢
たいせい
attitude; posture; preparedness
-
精密
せいみつ
precise; exact; detailed
Before you use Energy kanji
気 is the character for personal energy and is the one to use — common, and unambiguous. 勢 reads as momentum or the force of a situation rather than personal vitality. Avoid 精 on its own, since one of its meanings is semen; it belongs inside a compound such as 精力.