Akubi (あくび - Yawn)

Apr 26, 2018 14:30
When you are drowsy or feel boring, you will take an act called an akubi (あくび) involuntarily.

An akubi is a kind of breathing, which you draw in a deep breath and blow out a shallow breath -- it is called a "yawn" in English.

It is considered that the term akubi comes from an old Japanese word.

There are two accepted theories about its origin -- one is that it comes from the verb akubu (欠くぶ), which means to yawn, and the other is that it comes from the verb akubu (飽くぶ), which means to get bored with something.

"Akubi" is usually written in kanji as "欠伸," but sometimes it is written just as "欠."

The kanji "欠" is a hieroglyphic that represents a person who open his/her mouth wide, and it has the meaning of "yawn"

The kanji "伸"means to stretch oneself, so the kanji expression "欠伸" implies that a person yawns while stretching.
あくび

眠たいときや、退屈なとき、我々は反射的に「あくび」をします。

「あくび」とは、口を大きく開いて深く息を吸い、短く吐く呼吸動作のことです。

日本語の「あくび」は古語に由来すると考えられており、「あくびをすること」を意味する「欠くぶ」の名詞形、もしくは「飽きる」ことを意味する「飽くぶ」の名詞形であるという説が有力です。

漢字では「欠伸」と書かれることが多いですが、「欠」と書くこともあります。

「欠」という漢字は、人が大きく口を開けているさまをかたどった象形文字で、この字だけで「あくび」の意味を持ちます。

「伸」は背伸びをすることを意味した漢字であるため、「欠伸」という漢字は「背伸びをして欠伸をするさま」を示唆しています。
No. 1 artboy598
  • Akubi (あくび - Yawn)
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • When you are drowsy or feel boring, you will take an act called an akubi (あくび) involuntarily.
  • When you are drowsy or feeling bored, you will do what is called an akubi (あくび) involuntarily.
  • An akubi is a kind of breathing, which you draw in a deep breath and blow out a shallow breath -- it is called a "yawn" in English.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • It is considered that the term akubi comes from an old Japanese word.
  • It is thought that the term akubi comes from an old Japanese word.
  • There are two accepted theories about its origin -- one is that it comes from the verb akubu (欠くぶ), which means to yawn, and the other is that it comes from the verb akubu (飽くぶ), which means to get bored with something.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • "Akubi" is usually written in kanji as "欠伸," but sometimes it is written just as "欠."
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • The kanji "欠" is a hieroglyphic that represents a person who open his/her mouth wide, and it has the meaning of "yawn"
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • The kanji "伸"means to stretch oneself, so the kanji expression "欠伸" implies that a person yawns while stretching.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

Interesting. When I saw 欠, I thought of “lacking” in English. I didn’t know it was associated with yawning. Thank you!

Toru
Thank you so much always for correcting my post!
Indeed, most terms containing 欠 mean "lacking." By the way, 欠 as a radical is called "akubi." By the way, 欠 as a radical is called "akubi." For example, it is a radical of 歌, 次, and 欺.