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Kanji for Energy

The kanji most commonly used for "Energy" are 気、勢、精.

Kanji that mean Energy

  • air, spirit, feeling

    Onyomi: ke, ki Kunyomi: iki, ki 6 strokes Jōyō

  • force, vigor, situation

    Onyomi: sei, zei Kunyomi: hazumi, ikio.i 13 strokes Jōyō

  • refined, essence, spirit

    Onyomi: sei, shoh Kunyomi: kuwa.shii, shira.geru 14 strokes Jōyō

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.

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.

Other meanings to explore

See all kanji by meaning →

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