溜息（ためいき、tameiki）
- sigh

The Japanese word 溜息 (ためいき, *tameiki*) means "sigh." It's an audible expression of various emotions, most commonly associated with weariness, relief, disappointment, sadness, or a moment of reflection. It's the act of exhaling deeply, often accompanied by a sound, to convey a feeling that words alone cannot fully express. 溜息 can also imply a feeling of resignation.

⚫︎ 彼女は試験の結果を聞いて、深い《溜息をついた。》 Translation: She sighed deeply upon hearing the results of the exam. ⚫︎ 長い仕事の後、彼は安堵の《溜息をついた。》 Translation: After a long day of work, he let out a sigh of relief. ⚫︎ 問題が解決せず、彼は落胆の《溜息をもらした。》 Translation: Unable to solve the problem, he let out a sigh of disappointment.

⚫︎ Use 溜息 in conversation when you want to describe someone sighing or when you yourself are sighing. ⚫︎ It can be used in both formal and informal situations, though the context of the sentence will determine the specific nuance. ⚫︎ You can use the verb つく (*tsuku*, to emit/make) with 溜息, such as ため息をつく (*tameiki o tsuku*) to sigh. Other verbs are less common, but possible depending on the context.

⚫︎ 溜息 is typically written in kanji as 溜息, with the reading ためいき in hiragana. ⚫︎ The okurigana (the hiragana following the kanji) for the verb つく is always つ. ⚫︎ It is also possible to write 溜息 in hiragana only as ためいき.

⚫︎ There aren't direct synonyms for the word "sigh" in Japanese, as the action itself is expressed through 溜息. However, words that describe the associated emotions can be considered related. ⚫︎ Expressions of relief: 安堵 (*ando*, relief), ほっとする (*hotto suru*, to feel relieved). ⚫︎ Expressions of sadness: 悲しみ (*kanashimi*, sadness), 落胆 (*rakutan*, disappointment).

⚫︎ There aren't direct antonyms for 溜息 because it describes an action. ⚫︎ However, one could consider emotions like 喜び (*yorokobi*, joy) or 興奮 (*koufun*, excitement) to be emotionally opposite.

試験の結果が悪かったので、彼女はがっかりして《溜息をついた。》 ・Translation: Because the test results were bad, she sighed in disappointment. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the use of 溜息 to express disappointment.

長い間、解決策を見つけられなかった問題が、ついに解決して、彼は安堵の《溜息をついた。》 ・Translation: After not being able to find a solution for a long time, the problem was finally solved, and he sighed with relief. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates 溜息 conveying relief after a challenge.

⚫︎ 溜息 is composed of the kanji 溜 (*ta(maru)*, meaning "to gather" or "to accumulate") and 息 (*iki*, meaning "breath"). ⚫︎ Therefore, it literally means "accumulated breath," which refers to the air that is gathered in the body and then released with a sigh. ⚫︎ The word's formation reflects the idea that a sigh is a release of pent-up emotions or feelings.