～気味 — A bit, slightly (usually unwelcome) | JLPT N3 grammar

Meaning

A suffix meaning “a touch of, showing signs of” — usually an unwelcome condition or trend noticeable right now: 風邪気味 (coming down with a cold), 疲れ気味 (a bit worn out), 遅れ気味 (running slightly behind). It doesn't mean “often happens” (that's がち) or “looks like” (that's っぽい).

Formation

Vます stem＋気味: 疲れます → 疲れ気味, 遅れます → 遅れ気味, 押されます → 押され気味
N＋気味: 風邪 → 風邪気味, 寝不足 → 寝不足気味, 緊張 → 緊張気味
Predicate: 気味だ／気味です; linking: 気味で、…; before a noun: 気味の＋N (寝不足気味の人)

When to use it

Where to use it: For health and mood, and for how things are going — schedules, prices, a match: 少し風邪気味です, 物価が上がり気味だ. Fine both in conversation and at work.
Where not to use it: It usually describes something undesirable, but neutral trends are possible: 上がり気味, “tending upward.” Not every word combines with 気味: 元気気味 / 合格気味 are not standard patterns. 気味 follows a noun or a ます-stem (疲れ気味), not an い-adjective (✗高い気味).

Examples

20 sentences

風邪かぜ気味ぎみなので、今日きょうは早くはやく寝ますねます。
I think I'm coming down with a cold, so I'll go to bed early tonight.
最近さいきん、仕事しごとが忙しくていそがしくて疲れつかれ気味ぎみです。
Work has been hectic lately, and I'm a bit worn out.
工事こうじが遅れおくれ気味ぎみで、完成かんせいは来月らいげつになりそうだ。
Construction is running a little behind, so it looks like it won't be finished until next month.
正月しょうがつに食べすぎてたべすぎて、少しすこし太りふとり気味ぎみだ。
I overate over New Year's and have put on a bit of weight.
寝不足ねぶそく気味ぎみの人ひとは、午後ごごに眠くねむくなりやすい。
People who are a little short on sleep tend to get drowsy in the afternoon.
今月こんげつは支出ししゅつが増えふえ気味ぎみだから、外食がいしょくを控えようひかえよう。
Our spending has been creeping up this month, so let's cut back on eating out.
初めてはじめての面接めんせつで、彼かれは少しすこし緊張きんちょう気味ぎみだった。
He was a little nervous at his first interview.
最近さいきん、ちょっと運動不足うんどうぶそく気味ぎみじゃない？
Haven't you been getting a bit too little exercise lately?

12 more examples

このところ物価ぶっかが上がりあがり気味ぎみで、野菜やさいも高くたかくなった。
Prices have been creeping up lately, and vegetables have gotten pricier too.
前半ぜんはんは、うちのチームが押されおされ気味ぎみだった。
In the first half, our team was somewhat on the back foot.
乾燥かんそう気味ぎみの肌はだには、このクリームがいいですよ。
This cream is good for skin that's a little on the dry side.
試合しあいに負けてまけてから、弟おとうとは少しすこし落ち込みおちこみ気味ぎみだ。
Since losing the match, my little brother has been a bit down.
風邪かぜのせいか、声こえが少しすこしかすれ気味ぎみです。
Maybe it's the cold, but my voice is a little hoarse.
売り上げうりあげが落ちおち気味ぎみなので、新しいあたらしいメニューを考えてかんがえている。
Sales have been slipping a bit, so we're working on a new menu.
今年ことしは雨あめが少なくすくなく、ダムの水みずが不足ふそく気味ぎみだ。
There's been little rain this year, so the dams are running a bit low.
寒くさむくなってから、ジムをサボり気味ぎみなんです。
Ever since it got cold, I've been kind of skipping the gym.
ストレスがたまり気味ぎみなら、週末しゅうまつは温泉おんせんにでも行ったらいったら？
If stress is building up, why not go to a hot spring or something this weekend?
彼かれは緊張するきんちょうすると、早口はやくち気味ぎみになる。
When he gets nervous, he tends to talk a bit too fast.
去年きょねんは体調たいちょうを崩しくずし気味ぎみで、何度かなんどか会社かいしゃを休んだやすんだ。
Last year I was a bit run-down and missed work a few times.
年末ねんまつはスケジュールが詰まりつまり気味ぎみで、なかなか会えないあえない。
My schedule gets rather packed at the end of the year, so it's hard to meet up.

Important notes

It often comes with softeners like ちょっと, 少し, やや: ちょっと疲れ気味で… sounds tactful, which is why it's popular when explaining yourself at work.
気味 behaves like a noun — before another noun it takes の (風邪気味の人), not な.

Common mistakes

✗ 疲れる気味 → ✓ 疲れ気味 — with verbs, 気味 attaches to the ます-stem.
△ 子どもの頃は病気気味だった (intended: “often ill as a child”) → ✓ 病気がちだった — がち expresses recurrence. 気味 describes a mild degree at a reference time; past tense itself is allowed.
✗ 試験に合格して、うれし気味だ → ✓ ちょっとうれしい — 気味 is almost always for unwelcome things and doesn't attach to い-adjectives.

Check yourself

Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.

Sentence 1: このところ物価ぶっかが上がりあがり気味ぎみで、野菜やさいも高くたかくなった。 Prices have been creeping up lately, and vegetables have gotten pricier too.I was a sickly child and often missed school.Since starting junior high, my daughter suddenly looks much more grown-up.
Sentence 2: 今年ことしは雨あめが少なくすくなく、ダムの水みずが不足ふそく気味ぎみだ。 My brother is a grown-up, but he thinks like a child.There's been little rain this year, so the dams are running a bit low.When I'm busy, I tend to skip meals.
Sentence 3: 年末ねんまつはスケジュールが詰まりつまり気味ぎみで、なかなか会えないあえない。 Our section chief loves to argue every little point, so meetings drag on forever.My schedule gets rather packed at the end of the year, so it's hard to meet up.It's been rainy a lot lately, and the laundry just won't dry.