Motivation and mood
Collocations, Stage 4chunk 8 of 25Senses & mind
Your energy and mood: no motivation, getting yourself going, perking up, getting hyped, stress piling up.
- yaruki ga naihave no motivation, can't be bothered
- yaruki ga deruget motivated
- genki ga deruperk up, get a lift
- tenshon ga agaruget excited, get hyped
- sutoresu ga tamaruget stressed, stress builds up
Mix-ups yaruki and genki both 'come out' (deru): yaruki denai is can't get going, genki deta is it gave me a lift, and genki dashite is what you say to someone else. Mood goes up (tenshon agaru) while stress piles up (tamaru); tenshon means hype, not tension.
yaruki ga nai
polite yaruki ga arimasenhave no motivation, can't be bothered
やる気がない やるきがない やる気がありません
adjectivenai ないnai: there isn't, have none (negative of aru)typical 15% of yaruki
About yourself it's the flat 'I just don't feel like it': kyou yaruki nai (I just don't feel like doing anything today). About someone else it's a criticism, they're not trying: ano hito yaruki nai yo ne. In polite talk people usually say yaruki nai desu or yaruki ga nai n desu; yaruki ga arimasen sounds stiff.
kyou maji yaruki nai. nanimo shitakunai.
I've got zero motivation today. I don't want to do anything.
今日マジやる気ない。何もしたくない。
kyou wa nanka yaruki nai n desu yo.
I just don't feel like doing anything today.
今日はなんかやる気ないんですよ。
yaruki denai is 'I can't get going'; yaruki nai is flatter: I just don't feel like it, or, about others, they don't care.
Same adjective: genki (energy: genki nai, be down), jishin (confidence), shokuyoku (appetite), kyoumi (interest)Learn alongside: genki ga nai, genki o dasu, yaruki ga deru, genki ga deru, tenshon ga agaruMain list: yaru (Stage 1), aru (Stage 1)
yaruki ga deru
polite yaruki ga demasuget motivated
やる気が出る やるきがでる やる気が出ます
verbderu 出るcome out, appeartypical 10% of yaruki
trap Learners look for an adjective for 'motivated', but everyday Japanese has none. The will to do it 'comes out' (deru): yaruki ga denai. yaruki ga aru (be keen) and mochibeeshon ga agaru are also fine.
Mostly said in the negative about yourself, about a task or a day you can't face: yaruki denai (I can't get going). yaruki nai (no motivation at all) is a flatter state and is also said about other people. yaruki aru means keen or motivated; asked as yaruki aru no?, it's a reproach: are you even trying?
kyou zenzen yaruki denai.
I can't get motivated at all today.
今日全然やる気出ない。
kyou wa zenzen yaruki ga demasen.
I just can't get motivated today.
今日は全然やる気が出ません。
yaruki is literally 'do-feeling', from yaru + ki.
Same verb: yuuki (courage), shokuyoku (appetite), chikara (strength: chikara ga denai, can't muster the strength)Learn alongside: genki ga nai, genki o dasu, yaruki ga nai, genki ga deru, tenshon ga agaruMain list: deru (Stage 1), yaru (Stage 1)
genki ga deru
polite genki ga demasuperk up, get a lift
元気が出る げんきがでる 元気が出ます
verbderu 出るcome out, appear; here energy wells up in youtypical 6% of genki
trap English 'cheer up' is both 'I cheered up' and 'cheer up!', but Japanese splits it: genki deta about yourself, genki dashite to someone else. genki dete! isn't a request, though genki dete kita (I'm perking up) is fine.
Mostly past, about what gave you a lift, with ga often dropped: amai mono tabetara genki deta, or arigatou, genki deta after a kind word. The negative genki denai means you can't shake a low mood.
arigatou, nanka genki deta.
Thanks, that cheered me up.
ありがとう、なんか元気出た。
arigatou gozaimasu. okage de genki ga demashita.
Thank you. That cheered me up.
ありがとうございます。おかげで元気が出ました。
genki moratta (it gave me a boost) is a common way to credit a song, a person or a message.
Same verb: yaruki (motivation), yuuki (courage), shokuyoku (appetite)Learn alongside: genki ga nai, genki o dasu, yaruki ga nai, yaruki ga deru, tenshon ga agaruMain list: genki (Stage 3), deru (Stage 1), dasu (Stage 4)
tenshon ga agaru
polite tenshon ga agarimasuget excited, get hyped
テンションが上がる テンションがあがる テンションが上がります
verbagaru 上がるgo up, risetypical 28% of tenshon
trap For 'I'm excited', learners say koufun shiteru, which sounds worked-up and, in some contexts, sexual. Say tenshon agaru for hyped right now, and tanoshimi or wakuwaku suru for a plan. False friend: tenshon is energy or mood, not tension.
For being hyped right now: tenshon agaru! or tenshon agatte kita. The opposite is tenshon sagaru (get bummed out), and tenshon takai means hyper. It's an informal word: fine with friends and coworkers, but not in formal speech.
yabai, tenshon agatte kita!
Oh man, I'm getting so hyped!
やばい、テンション上がってきた！
ii desu ne, tenshon ga agatte kimashita!
This is great, I'm getting excited!
いいですね、テンションが上がってきました！
English 'tension' or 'nervousness' is kinchou (kinchou suru, get nervous).
Same verb: kibun (mood), mochibeeshon (motivation)Learn alongside: genki ga nai, genki o dasu, yaruki ga nai, yaruki ga deru, genki ga deruMain list: tanoshimi (Stage 4)
sutoresu ga tamaru
polite sutoresu ga tamarimasuget stressed, stress builds up
ストレスが溜まる ストレスがたまる ストレスが溜まります
verbtamaru 溜まるpile up, accumulatetypical 14% of sutoresu
trap For 'I'm stressed', learners turn 'stress' into a verb: sutoresu shiteru, which isn't Japanese. Stress piles up: sutoresu tamatteru. sutoresu o kanjiru (feel stress) and shigoto ga sutoresu (work stresses me out) are also fine.
Usually in -te ru for how you are now: sutoresu tamatteru (I'm stressed out). Getting rid of it is sutoresu kaishou, and blowing off steam is sutoresu hassan: karaoke de sutoresu hassan shita.
saikin sutoresu tamatteru.
Stress has been piling up lately.
最近ストレス溜まってる。
saikin sutoresu ga tamattemasu.
Stress has been piling up lately.
最近ストレスが溜まってます。
The transitive is tameru, as in okane o tameru: sutoresu tamenai you ni ne (don't let the stress build up).
Same verb: tsukare (fatigue), shigoto (work), sentakumono (laundry), okane (money)