機転(きてん)

きてん
noun
quick wit, resourcefulness
cognition
1. quick wit, resourcefulness, presence of mind
The ability to think and respond quickly and cleverly in unexpected situations.
機転(きてん)が利(き)く人(ひと)だ。
That's someone with quick wit.
機転(きてん)を利(き)かせて危機(きき)を乗(の)り越(こ)えた。
Using quick thinking, I overcame the crisis.
あの場面(ばめん)で機転(きてん)を利(き)かせて嘘(うそ)をついたおかげで、大事(おおごと)にならずに済(す)んだ。
Thanks to the quick thinking of telling a white lie in that situation, it didn't turn into a big deal.

Usage

Almost always appears in the set phrases 機転(きてん)が利(き)く (to be quick-witted) and 機転(きてん)を利(き)かせる (to use one's quick wit). Rarely used outside these collocations.
The verb is 利(き)く, not 聞(き)く. Both are read きく but have different meanings.

Common collocations

Related Words

Compare: 才覚(さいかく) (resourcefulness)
general
Added 2026.2.8 14:27 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
10500/10603_kiten