Illustration: At a neighborhood community hall, a first-time speaker stands beside a microphone facing a small, friendly seated audience. Their shoulders are raised, knees held rigidly together, and free hand clenched around the hem of their jacket.

JLPT N3nounLevel estimated by Bebop

緊きん張ちょう

kinchou

tension, nervousness

Example sentences

  1. 彼かれの冗談じょうだんで室内しつないの緊張きんちょうがほぐれた。

    His joke eased the tension in the room.

    Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · Source

  2. 彼かれは目めに見みえて緊張きんちょうしていた。

    He was visibly nervous.

    Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · Source

  3. いつも緊張きんちょうしています。

    I’m always under pressure.

    Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · Source

Kanji in 緊張

  • 緊tense; solidOnキンKunしめる・しまる
  • 張counter for bows & stringed instruments; stretchOnチョウKunはる

A word like this on every new tab

The Bebop Chrome extension shows one illustrated Japanese word each time you open a new tab in Chrome, with its reading, meaning, kanji and three example sentences. Choose any mix of levels from N5 to beyond N1. It’s free, with no account.

The Bebop new tab showing 音楽, music, over an illustration of a family playing music at home, with three example sentences
Add to Chrome Free on the Chrome Web Store
For Chrome on a computer. See it on the Chrome Web Store