1.
pause; interval; timing
A pause or gap in time, or the sense of timing in speech, performance, or action. Whether a moment feels well-timed or awkward is judged by its 間.
間 is the sense of a pause or gap that is felt rather than measured — the silence before a punchline, the beat between two lines of dialogue, or the timing of a single action. Good 間 feels natural; bad 間 feels awkward or off.
Common collocations
- 間を置く: to leave a pause
- 間が悪い: to have bad timing (also: to be unlucky, awkward)
- 間がいい: to have good timing
- 間を持たせる: to fill an awkward silence
- 間の取り方: how one paces pauses; a sense of timing
Similar words
- 間: the same kanji, read differently, for physical space, a stretch of time, or a relationship between people. 間 is narrower: the felt quality of a pause or moment, not a measurable span.
- タイミング: timing, a more general loanword for when something happens; 間 specifically evokes the pause or rhythm as perceived, often in performance or conversation.
Related Words
Related:
間 (between; interval (space, time))
Related:
置く (to put, to place)
Compare:
室 (room (suffix))