神経（しんけい、shinkei）
- nerve

The Japanese word 神経 (神経 - shinkei) primarily translates to "nerve" or "nervous system." It refers to the network of cells that transmit signals throughout the body, enabling sensation, movement, and thought. However, 神経 also carries a broader meaning, encompassing related concepts such as: ⚫︎ Sensitivity: This can relate to being easily affected by stimuli. ⚫︎ Nervousness: Relating to anxiety or feeling worried. ⚫︎ Temperament or Disposition: Referring to one's character or personality traits. ⚫︎ Mental state: This can be linked to the state of mind, or the psychological or emotional condition. The meaning is often context-dependent, therefore it is important to understand the surrounding words to know the exact meaning.

⚫︎神経が過敏になる。 Translation: To become hypersensitive. ⚫︎ あの人は神経質だ。 Translation: That person is nervous/anxious. ⚫︎ 彼は神経を集中させた。 Translation: He focused his attention/nerves.

You can use 神経 in various situations. It can be used to describe medical conditions related to the nervous system, emotional states, or personality traits. When describing physical sensations or medical conditions, it relates directly to the biological nervous system. In more abstract contexts, it is used to describe a person's temperament, anxiety levels, or the degree to which they are sensitive to external stimuli.

神経 is written using the kanji 神経. The reading is almost always しんけい (shinkei) in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana (送りがな - suffix hiragana) is not applicable here as it is a single-word kanji compound.

⚫︎ 神経系 (しんけいけい - shinkei kei): Nervous system (more technical term) ⚫︎ 精神 (せいしん - seishin): Mind, spirit, mental state (can be a synonym in some contexts, mainly when referring to the mental state.) ⚫︎ 敏感 (びんかん - binkan): Sensitive ⚫︎ 臆病 (おくびょう - okubyou): Timid, cowardly ⚫︎ 不安 (ふあん - fuan): Anxiety The most suitable synonym will depend on the specific context of the sentence.

⚫︎ 鈍感 (どんかん - donkan): Insensitive, dull ⚫︎ 平気 (へいき - heiki): Unconcerned, indifferent ⚫︎ 落ち着いている (おちついている - ochitsuiteiru): Calm The opposite words depend on the specific meaning of 神経 in the given sentence.

彼女は神経質な性格で、些細なことにもすぐに動揺する。 ・Translation: She has a nervous personality and is easily upset by trivial things. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 神経 to describe her temperament or personality, indicating she's easily worried and sensitive.

事故で神経を損傷し、身体の一部が麻痺した。 ・Translation: He/She damaged his/her nerves in the accident, and part of his/her body was paralyzed. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 神経 in the literal medical sense, referring to nerve damage.

The word 神経 is a compound of two kanji: 神 (shin) meaning "god", "mind", or "spirit", and 経 (kei) meaning "channel," "method," or "pathway." The combination creates the idea of a channel or pathway through which the "spirit" or "vitality" flows, which is then metaphorically applied to the physical nerves and the broader concepts of the nervous system and related emotional or mental states. The combination of these two characters is a result of influence from Chinese vocabulary that was adopted into Japanese.