一本気

Japanese

Kanji in this term
一	本	気
いち > いっ Grade: 1	ほん > ぽん Grade: 1	き > ぎ Grade: 1
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
一本氣 (kyūjitai)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ip̚põ̞ŋʲɡʲi]

Noun

一(いっ)本(ぽん)気(ぎ) • (ippongi) 

1. (archaic) state of being unadulterated, pure
   • c. 1787, Ōta Nanpo, Yomo no aka:

     四(よ)方(も)の赤(あか)の一(いっ)本(ぽん)気(ぎ)にして、かりにも水(みず)くさき駄(だ)酒(さけ)をまじへず

     Yomo no aka no ippongi ni shite, karinimo mizukusaki dasake o majihezu

     Regarding the purity of yomo no aka, it is not diluted with one drop of watery low-grade sake

2. a single-minded person; an earnest disposition

Adjective

一(いっ)本(ぽん)気(ぎ) • (ippongi) -na (adnominal 一(いっ)本(ぽん)気(ぎ)な (ippongi na), adverbial 一(いっ)本(ぽん)気(ぎ)に (ippongi ni))

1. single-minded, earnest, genuine
   • 1978, Inamura Hiroshi, Kodomo no jisatsu [Suicide of children], page 62:

     とても一(いっ)本(ぽん)気(ぎ)なところがあり、いちずに思(おも)い込(こ)んで行(こう)動(どう)しがちだった。

     Totemo ippongi na tokoro ga ari, ichizu ni omoikonde kōdō shigachi datta.

     There was a single-minded aspect to him, and he tended to set himself to things wholeheartedly.