1.
reserve; hesitation; restraint out of consideration for others
Holding back or feeling constrained because of concern about troubling, inconveniencing, or offending others. A characteristically Japanese social concept where one restrains oneself to maintain harmony.
気兼ねなく話せる友人がいる。
I have a friend I can talk to without holding back.
隣人に気兼ねして、夜は音楽を控えている。
Out of consideration for my neighbors, I refrain from playing music at night.
実家にいると何かと気兼ねするので、一人暮らしの方が楽だ。
Living at my parents' house means constantly holding back, so living alone is easier.
USAGE:
気兼ね reflects a deeply Japanese social dynamic of self-restraint out of concern for others' feelings or comfort. The most common form is 気兼ねなく (without reserve), used to describe relationships or situations where one can be completely at ease. As a する verb, 気兼ねする means to hold back out of consideration.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 気兼ねなく: without reserve, freely
- 気兼ねする: to hold back, to feel constrained
- 気兼ねなく過ごす: to spend time without restraint
- 気兼ねのない関係: a relationship without reserve