1.
casually; without thinking; nonchalantly; absent-mindedly
Doing something without particular intention or deliberate thought. Can describe actions done out of habit, idle curiosity, or without realizing their significance.
何気なく窓の外を見た。
I casually glanced out the window.
何気なく言った一言が相手を傷つけた。
A casual remark I made hurt the other person.
何気なくテレビをつけたら、好きな番組がやっていた。
I turned on the TV without thinking, and my favorite show was on.
Describes doing something without particular intention or awareness. Very common in narratives to describe how someone stumbled upon something or did something significant without realizing it.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 何気なく見る: to glance casually
- 何気なく言う: to say offhandedly
- 何気なく聞く: to ask casually
- 何気ない一言: an offhand remark
RELATED FORMS:
- 何気ない: the adjective form (casual, unintentional)
- 何気に: colloquial/casual variant, sometimes used to mean "actually" or "surprisingly" — considered non-standard by some
SIMILAR WORDS:
- さりげなく: unobtrusively, in a subtle way — implies deliberate subtlety, while 何気なく implies lack of deliberation
- ふと: suddenly, by chance — focuses on the spontaneous moment rather than the casual manner