Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "健康" vs "運動"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
健康
けんこう (kenkō)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
運動
うんどう (undō)
N3 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 健康 and 運動 are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
健康 (けんこう (kenkō)) represents "health; healthy; wholesome" (Level: N3) and typically represents Refers to physical and mental state of being healthy, sound, and free from illness. Often used as 健康的な生活 or 健康を維持する. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'Health! "Just looking at your smile makes my mental health 100% perfect, Haruka-san!" ...っ! M-My smile as your mental supplement?! B-Baka! Don't make such romantic claims! But... since I also want you to stay healthy forever, you better take care of yourself! If you get sick, I'll worry to death! Understood?!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『けんこう（健康）！『ハルカ部長の可愛い照れ顔を見るだけで、僕の精神状態は一瞬で最高に健康になります！』って…っ！私の顔がサプリメントみたいに効くなんてバカ！…あんたが健康でいてくれないと、私の心拍数も不安定で不健康になるんだから、一生涯、絶対風邪なんて引かないで元気でいなさい！』.
On the other hand, 運動 (うんどう (undō)) translates to "exercise; sports; movement; campaign; physical activity" (Level: N3) and is used for Refers to physical exercise or sports to maintain fitness. Also represents a social movement or campaign for a specific political/societal goal. Often used as 運動する or 選挙運動. ⚠️ Haruka's Voice Column: 'Exercise! "If I jog with you, Haruka-san, my heart's dynamic exercise rate will break limits!" ...っ! Dynamic exercise rate?! B-Baka! Don't make up such strange physics concepts! But... if you are jogging next to me, I suppose I won't mind holding your hand to keep the pace! dummy!' / 【ハルカ部長のワンポイント指導】『うんどう（運動）よ！『ハルカ部長と毎朝一緒にランニングをしたら、愛の運動量もカロリー消費も限界突破しそうです！』って…っ！愛の運動量って何よバカ！…でも、あんたと一緒に汗を流すなら、休日のアクティブなデートも悪くないわね。しっかり私についてきなさい！』. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "健康"
毎日の生活に適度な運動を取り入れ、栄養バランスの偏りがない食事を続けることは、心身の_______を維持するために極めて重要です。
Incorporating moderate exercise into daily life and continuing meals without nutritional bias is extremely important to maintain physical and mental health.
Bilingual Sentence for "運動"
オフィスワークによる長時間の座りっぱなしを防ぐため、1時間に一度は立ち上がって軽い_______を行うことが推奨されています。
In order to prevent sitting for long periods due to office work, it is recommended to stand up once every hour and perform light exercise.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "毎日の生活に適度な運動を取り入れ、栄養バランスの偏りがない食事を続けることは、心身の_______を維持するために極めて重要です。" (Meaning: "Incorporating moderate exercise into daily life and continuing meals without nutritional bias is extremely important to maintain physical and mental health.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "健康" fits here because it represents "health; healthy; wholesome" in the context: "Incorporating moderate exercise into daily life and continuing meals without nutritional bias is extremely important to maintain physical and mental health.".