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.
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.