Both are listed as ‘atmosphere’.
The first can be part of 空気読めない (KY), so ‘atmosphere’ in a figurative sense. But I thought it also meant plain old ‘air’.
The second one seems to be more like the ‘planetary’ sense of atmosphere?
Which is more common? Are there other ways to understand them?
Thanks for your time. =)
I don’t know much about 大気, but https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=th&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fdictionary.goo.ne.jp%2Fthsrs%2F12959%2Fmeaning%2Fm0u%2F大気%2F&edit-text=
jk
LOL… it takes me to google translate in Hindi?? and then I can click the only word on the screen and it takes me to Goo. (which is fine)
Ohh… you fed the Japanese Goo page through gtrans.
But now they seem even more similar. :-/
I forgot about that dictionary. Thanks, Polv.
Oh… nope. There’s a section for deliniation:
【１】「大気」は、地球を取り巻く気体全体をいい、「火星の大気」のように、他の天体についても使う。
【２】「空気」は、地球の大気の下層部分を構成する気体のこと。酸素と窒素を主成分とし、少量のアルゴン、ヘリウム、炭酸ガスを含む。また、「気まずい空気が流れる」のように、あたりの雰囲気についても使う。
[1] “Atmosphere” refers to the entire gas surrounding the Earth, and also uses other celestial bodies like “Martian Atmosphere”.
[2] “Air” is the gas that constitutes the lower part of the Earth’s atmosphere. It mainly contains oxygen and nitrogen, and contains a small amount of argon, helium and carbon dioxide. Also, like the “flowing awkward air”, used about the surrounding ambience.
空気 - You’re absolutely right. It means either air, like air you breathe, or atmosphere, like the mood of the environment you’re in. Like 空気を読んで！ (Read the air/mood!)
This is the one I have heard regularly during my time in Japan.
大気 - is more environmental and I haven’t heard it very often and never in context of the mood.
So you’re spot on.
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