リビドー
ribidō[ɾʲibʲido̞ː]
The Japanese word for "libido" is リビドー (ribidō).
リビドー refers to sexual urges or drives. For a more informal way to describe sexual desires or arousal, you can use エッチな気持ち.
Meaning: sexual urges or drives (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
ribidō
Did you know?
- In Japanese popular culture, the term リビドー is often associated with the works of Sigmund Freud and is used more to describe a psychological 'drive' than a simple physical urge.
- The word リビドー is a loanword written in Katakana, which is typically used for foreign concepts or technical scientific terms in Japan. Because it sounds academic, using it in casual conversation might make you sound like a psychology professor rather than a person expressing a feeling.
- The English word 'libido' and the Japanese loanword リビドー both trace their roots back to the Latin 'libido', meaning 'lust' or 'desire'. Despite the massive linguistic distance between English and Japanese, the scientific terminology remains identical.
Examples in context
- 近年の研究では、男女の性欲の違いについて詳細に調査されています。Recent studies have extensively examined the differences in libido between men and women.
- 最近エッチな気持ちが高まっている。Lately, my libido has been increasing.
- 彼はいつも性欲旺盛で有名だ。He is famous for having a strong libido.
- ストレスでリビドーが低下した。Sutoresu de ribidō ga teika shita.My libido decreased due to stress.
- リビドーの強さは人それぞれだ。Ribidō no tsuyosa wa hito sorezore da.The strength of one's libido varies from person to person.
- 彼はリビドーが非常に高い。Kare wa ribidō ga hijō ni takai.He has a very high libido.
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are discussing psychology in a university cafe.
- 結衣 Yuiフロイトはリビドーについてどう説明したの？Furoito wa ribidō ni tsuite dō setsumei shita no?How did Freud explain the libido?
- 陽太 Yota精神的なエネルギーの一種だと考えたらしいよ。Seishinteki na enerugī no isshu da to kangaeta rashii yo.I heard he thought of it as a kind of mental energy.
- 結衣 Yuiなるほど、単なる欲求だけではないんだね。Naruhodo, tannaru yokkyū dake de wa nain da ne.I see, so it's not just a simple urge.
- 陽太 Yotaそうだよ。とても複雑な概念だよね。Sō da yo. Totemo fukuzatsu na gainen da yo ne.Exactly. It's a very complex concept.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry リビドー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries リビドー, CC BY-SA 4.0.
