Have you heard the term Genki?
For some, it might be familiar, as most Japanese use the expression: Genki desu ka? (How are you?). But what does Genki really mean?
Misako Yoke, the author of Take Heart! You're Stronger Than You Think shares her definition of genki: full of life.
Nick: Let's move in a positive direction, so genki means full of life, a state worth aspiring for, and most people would know this word because they know it's used as the greeting 'Genki desu ka?' How are you?
But genki has various meanings related to both physical and mental state. So I remember in Japan if you saw a fit person you could say 'ano hito genkisou ne?' People would look at you and say 'genkisou ne'.
If you looked tired or sad, they might say 'doushita no? Genki ni na'. Do you want to touch on some of the meanings of genki?
Misako: Of course, I love to. Genki uses two Chinese characters: one is the origin, the other one is chi. Chi means our energy. The origin of energy is genki.
Often we use it as a more spiritual way of bringing up your enthusiasm that is contagious, and lively and animated. We are the origin of genki, that's what I love about the word genki so much.
I am often told that I am such a genki person and I love it, instead of you’re weird. Sometimes that means you're weird, you're too genki. Sometimes you're too weird. But I love the meaning of genki, it's origin of energy.