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What is the difference between やきもち and 嫉妬? Both words translate to
"jealousy", but is there a difference in the details of the definition?
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2022-04-15T07:43:21.867
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question
word-usage
What is the difference between やきもち and 嫉妬?
やきもち is used exclusively in contexts where someone you care for is interested
in someone/something else and you feel you are not getting enough
attention/love. Most of the time, this is used in romance-related contexts.
Etymologically, it's a pun on
[妬【や】く](https://jisho.org/word/%E5%A6%AC%E3%81%8F) and 焼【や】き餅【もち】. The word
derived from the resemblance of balloon-like inflated cheeks and baked
_mochi_. Thus, やきもち tends to refer to a temporary and not-so-serious jealousy,
and it's often seen as a cute behavior. See [these image search
results](https://search.yahoo.co.jp/image/search?p=%E3%82%84%E3%81%8D%E3%82%82%E3%81%A1).

On the other hand, I think 嫉妬【しっと】 is almost the same as English "jealousy".
It includes both mild ones and very dreadful ones, and it can be about
anything (e.g., someone's talent). For example, you can say
彼【かれ】の才能【さいのう】に嫉妬【しっと】させられます referring to a gifted baseball player, but you
cannot say 彼【かれ】の才能【さいのう】にやきもちを焼【や】かされます in the same context.
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