気（き） is one of the most common and useful kanji in Japanese. On its own, it means “feeling” or “emotion,” and it is most often used in idioms and phrases that are related. You will see 気 come up in many different ways in Japanese, and sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all the different meanings these phrases can have. In this lesson, I want to go over the six most common phrases that use 気 and a little bit about how to use them.

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気になる　means “to be on one’s mind, to worry, to care about, to be bothered by.”

Telling someone you're not worried about something is:

気になりませんよ。
きになりませんよ。
I'm not worried about it. / I wouldn't worry about it.

Or you might receive a business email that says:

以下、気になった点。
いか、　きになった　てん。
Some of concerns are listed below.
Literally: “below + keep in mind + points”

If your husband hears a loud crash in the middle of the night, he might say:

隣の音が気になる。
となり　の　おと　が　きになる。
I am worried about the noise next door.
Literally: “next door + の + noise + が + worry”

And when he discovers the noise next door was just the neighbor's cat:

少し気になりました。
すこし　きになりました。
I was a little worried.
Literally: “a little + worried”

It can even just have the nuance of being curious about something:

マリオの彼女がどんな人か気になる！
マリオ　の　かのじょ　が　どんな　ひと　か　きになる！
I wonder what Mario's girlfriend is like.
Literally: "Mario + の + girlfriend + が + what kind of + person + か + (I'm) curious!"

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気がする means “to have a certain mood or feeling, to have a hunch.” It can be used a bit like 考える（かんがえる）which means “to think.” However, 気がする is much softer than 考える.

When you want to tell someone you think you have a grasp of the concept you would say:

わかる気がします。
わかる　きがします。
I think I might understand.
Literally: “understand + have a feeling”

If you get to your child's baseball game and the other team is made up of giant 4th graders with beards, you might say:

勝てる気がする。
かてる　きがする。
I think we can win.
Literally: “can win + feel”

If you are critiquing your language partner’s English sentence, you might say:

自然な気がします。
しぜんな　きがします。
Seems natural.
Literally: “natural + な + feeling”

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気をつける means “to be careful, to pay attention to.” I am sure you have heard or used the common phrase:

気をつけて！
きをつけて！
Watch out!

When your Japanese friend is helping you cook, he might say:

熱いから気をつけてね。
あつい　から　きをつけて　ね。
Be careful, it's hot.
Literally: “hot + because + be careful + ね”

After your boss points out a mistake you made, you might say:

今後気をつけます。
こんご　きをつけます。
From now on, I will pay attention.
Literally: “from now on + pay attention”

If you are on a playground full of children running into each other, you can say:

気をつけよう。
きをつけよう。
Let’s be careful.
Literally: “let’s be careful”

When you are on the bus, you might see a sign that says:

足もとに気をつけてください。
あしもと　に　きをつけて　ください。
Watch your step.
Literally: “step + に + watch out + please”

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気に入る means “to be pleased with, to suit.” It is sometimes translated as “to like,” but it is not as strong as 好き（すき）.

If you visit Japan, someone will inevitably ask you:

日本は気に入った？
にほん　は　きにいった？
Do you like Japan?
Literally: “Japan + は + like”

If you hesitate or make a face when they ask you, they might say:

なに、気に入らん？
なに、きにいらん？
What, you don’t like it?
Literally: “what, + don't like?"
Note: I wouldn't recommend using this exact phrase... unless you're an older man in an anime or something. The speaker sounds a bit angry.

If someone is showing you a design you might say:

一目で気に入った。
ひとめ　で　きにいった。
I liked it at a glance.
Literally: “at first glance + で + pleased with.”

When you visit a company and present one of your new products, they might tell you:

大変気に入りました。
たいへん　きにいりました。
We really like it.
Literally: “greatly + pleased”

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気（が／は）ある means “to have an interest, to feel inclined toward.”

If your friend is setting up a tennis club, they might ask:

参加する気はあるの？
さんか　する　きはある　の？
You interested in participating?
Literally: “participate + do + interested + の”
Note: The speaker sounds just a little angry.

If you're unemployed and have no interest in getting a job, you could say:

全く働く気がありません。
まったく　はたらく　きがありません。
I have no inclination to work.
Literally: “none + work + interest”

If you like a girl and you suspect that she's interested in you too, you might tell your friend:

彼女も俺に気があるみたい。
かのじょ　も　おれ　に　きがある　みたい。
I think she's into me, too.
Literally: “her + also + I + に + feel inclined + looks like.”

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気が付く means “to notice, to become aware, to perceive, to realize.”

途中で忘れものに気が付いた。
とちゅう　で　わすれもの　に　きがついた。
I realized that I'd forgotten something while on my way there.
Literally: “on the way + で + forgotten thing + に + noticed ”

If your friend is telling you about something that happened during the baseball game, but you were busy on your cell phone:

全然気が付かなかった。
ぜんぜん　きがつかなたった。
I didn’t notice it at all.
Literally: “at all + didn’t notice”

By the way, in casual conversation, 気が付く（きがつく）will often drop the が and become 気づく（きづく）.
Notice the づ！！The meaning is the same.

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Getting these 気 phrases mixed up is pretty easy, so practice them a lot to get the feel for each specific meaning. And when you are ready, there are hundreds of other 気 phrases and idioms to explore!

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This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor: