気(き)が長(なが)い

きがながい

expression

patient; even-tempered

1. patient; even-tempered; not easily irritated

Describes someone who can wait calmly and does not get annoyed when things take a long time. Literally 'one's temperament is long.' The direct antonym of 気(き)が短(みじか)い.

母(はは)は気(き)が長(なが)い。

My mother is patient.

気(き)が長(なが)い人(ひと)が子(こ)どもの相手(あいて)に向(む)いている。

Patient people are suited to dealing with children.

十年(じゅうねん)かけて研究(けんきゅう)を続(つづ)けるとは、ずいぶん気(き)が長(なが)い話(はなし)だ。

Continuing the research for ten years — that's quite a long-haul undertaking.

祖父(そふ)は気(き)が長(なが)くて、何時間(なんじかん)待(ま)たされても文句(もんく)を言(い)わない。

My grandfather is even-tempered and doesn't complain no matter how many hours he's kept waiting.

Structure: 気(き) (temperament) + が + 長(なが)い (long).

Common patterns

気(き)が長(なが)い人(ひと): a patient person
気(き)長(なが)に待(ま)つ: to wait patiently (the adverbial form 気(き)長(なが)に is very common)
気(き)が長(なが)い話(はなし): a long-drawn-out proposition

Similar words

我慢強(がまんづよ)い: patient, enduring — stresses putting up with hardship, not just waiting calmly
のんびり: laid-back — describes an unhurried pace of life rather than tolerance of delay

Usage

Applied to a plan rather than a person, 気(き)が長(なが)い suggests the speaker finds it impractically slow.

Related Words

Antonym: 気(き)が短(みじか)い (short-tempered, impatient)

Compare: 我慢強(がまんづよ)い (patient, enduring)

Compare: のんびり (laid-back)

general

Added 2026.8.12 12:18 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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