何気ない
なにげない
i-adjective
casual, nonchalant, unintentional
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 何気ない | 何気なくない |
| Past | 何気なかった | 何気なくなかった |
| て form | 何気なくて | 何気なくなくて |
| Adverbial | 何気なく | — |
| Conditional ば | 何気なければ | 何気なくなければ |
| Conditional たら | 何気なかったら | 何気なくなかったら |
1.
casual, nonchalant, offhand
Done without any particular intention or deep thought. Often describes words or actions that have an unintended impact.
何気ない一言。
A casual remark.
Forms
- Adnominal: 何気ない + noun
- Adverbial: 何気なく
- Predicate: 何気ない (rarely used predicatively)
Usage
Most commonly used as a modifier before a noun (何気ない一言, 何気ない仕草) or in the adverbial form 何気なく. Often implies that a casual or unthinking action had significant consequences.
Common collocations
- 何気ない一言: an offhand remark
- 何気ない仕草: an unconscious gesture
- 何気ない日常: ordinary daily life
- 何気なく見る: to glance casually
Watch out
何気に is widely used in casual speech as an adverb meaning "casually" or "actually," but it is considered nonstandard. The standard adverbial form is 何気なく.