テンション
てんしょん
noun
mood, energy level
1.
mood, spirits, energy level
One's level of excitement, enthusiasm, or emotional energy. High tension means being upbeat and energetic; low tension means being down or unmotivated. This is a wasei-eigo usage distinct from the English meaning.
テンションが上がる。
To get excited / One's spirits rise.
今日はテンション低いね。
You seem down today.
テンション高めで行こう！
Let's go with high energy!
ハイテンションな人と一緒にいると疲れる。
Being with a hyper person is tiring.
2.
tension (English meaning)
Physical tension, tightness, or stress (the original English meaning). Less common in everyday Japanese than sense 1.
ロープのテンションを調整する。
To adjust the tension of the rope.
ギターの弦のテンションが高すぎる。
The tension on the guitar strings is too high.
テンションをかけすぎると糸が切れる。
If you put too much tension on it, the thread will break.
ETYMOLOGY: From English "tension," but used with a different meaning in Japanese (和製英語). In Japanese, it primarily refers to one's mood or energy level, not stress or tightness.
CAUTION FOR LEARNERS: In English, "high tension" suggests stress or anxiety, but in Japanese ハイテンション means "excited" or "energetic." This is a common source of misunderstanding.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- テンションが上がる (to get excited, spirits rise)
- テンションが下がる (to feel down, spirits fall)
- テンションが高い (to be in high spirits, energetic)
- テンションが低い (to be in low spirits, unmotivated)
- ハイテンション (high energy, hyper)
- ローテンション (low energy, subdued)
- テンション高め (somewhat high energy)
REGISTER: Casual, colloquial. Very common in everyday conversation, especially among younger speakers.