As we approach ハロウィーン (harowīn, Halloween) on Oct. 31, you’re more likely to see spooky decorations at shops and homes, and you might also hear the word 気味 (kimi, sensation/feeling) in your Japanese conversations.
To convey the idea of “spooky,” Japanese speakers will often use the word 不気味な (bukimina) or the term 気味が悪い (kimi ga warui). Both suggest something feels kind of off: この道は夜になると気味が悪い (Kono michi wa yoru ni naru to kimi ga warui, This street feels spooky when night falls).
More specifically, both terms maintain an original word and add modifiers to create the opposite meaning. For example, 不気味な uses the prefix 不 (fu/bu), which acts like the English “un~” or “non~,” while 気味が悪い literally means “the feeling is bad,” but in context is understood as “spooky,” “creepy” and “uneasy.”
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