Ibuki is the Japanese word for ‘breath’, ‘sign’, or ‘presence’

What does “ibuki” mean in Japanese?

“Ibuki” means ‘breath’ in Japanese, but native speakers quite often use it like a metaphor for a sign of something. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain it in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “ibuki” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “ibuki”
• Ibuki in kanji
  • Example #1: how to say “breath” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “ibuki”
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “ibuki”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of “ibuki”.

• ibuki – 息吹 (いぶき) : a noun meaning ‘breath’ in Japanese. This can also mean ‘sign’ or ‘presence’ in Japanese.

Again, but native speakers use this noun more often like a metaphor for a sign of something. The English noun, “breath”, can also refer to a sign of something. So, Japanese learners – especially those who are familiar with English – can easily understand this usage, I think.

The definition and meanings are not that difficult, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

Ibuki in kanji

The kanji expression of “ibuki” consists of the following two characters:

• 息 : a kanji character meaning ‘breath’ in Japanese.
• 吹 : a kanji character used to express the act of blowing in Japanese.

These two kanji characters tell us that “ibuki” literally means ‘breath blowing’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close, I think.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “ibuki” through the detailed kanji check above.

So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “ibuki” together with its kanji expression. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “breath” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “watashi” to make the subject in the sentence.
• haru – 春 (はる) : a noun meaning ‘spring’ in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used to join two nouns. Normally, the first one can work as a modifier to describe the second. In the example, this is used to join “haru” and “ibuki”. The formed phrase literally means ‘breath of spring’ in Japanese. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this case particle is similar to that of the English preposition, “of”.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “haru no ibuki” to make the object in the sentence.
• kanjiru – 感じる (かんじる) : a verb meaning ‘to feel’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “ibuki”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “haru no ibuki”, which means ‘the breath of spring’ in Japanese.

Example #2: another usage of “ibuki”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
• kami – 神 (かみ) : a noun meaning ‘God’ in Japanese.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kami no ibuki” to make the object in the sentence.
• kanji – 感じ (かんじ) : one conjugation of “kanjiru”. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• rareru – られる : an auxiliary verb used after a verb to make its potential form. In the example, this is used after “kanji” to make its potential form, “kanji rareru”, which means ‘can feel’ or ‘to be able to feel’ in Japanese.

This is another typical usage of “ibuki”. Again it works together with the case particle and they mean ‘the presence of’ in this example. When we want to refer to a sign or presence of something in Japanese, this noun can be a good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “ibuki” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• ibuki – 息吹 (いぶき) : a noun meaning ‘breath’ in Japanese. However, Japanese native speakers use this noun more often like a metaphor for a sign or presence of something. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘breath blowing’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close, I think.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.