Word
事情
Meaning in Englishcircumstances, situation, reasons
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
What does 事情 mean? It refers to the surrounding conditions or factors that influence a matter; the practical context or state of affairs, including reasons or circumstances.
Main meanings
- Circumstances or the state of affairs surrounding a matter — jijou
- Reasons or causes behind an action or situation — jijou
- Personal or private matters related to someone’s affairs — jijou
How to use it
Used as a neutral noun in both formal writing and everyday speech to refer to the surrounding circumstances, the reasons behind something, or the current state of affairs; commonly appears in phrases like 事情を説明する and 事情がある, and can denote both general context and private considerations.
Variants and close terms
- 状況 — jōkyō (circumstance, situation)
- 都合 — tsugō (circumstances, convenience)
- 私事 — shiji (private matters)
Composition
- 事: thing, matter
- 情: feeling, condition
- Combined meaning: the state or conditions surrounding a matter; context and reasons
Etymology
From the on'yomi readings of 事 (ji) and 情 (jō) combined to form the compound jijō.
Word class
Noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N3
事件
jiken
incident, case, event
N3
事実
jijitsu
fact, truth, reality
N3
情報
jouhou
information, data, intelligence
N3
愛情
aijou
love, affection, tenderness
N3
家事
kaji
housework, household chores
N3
感情
kanjou
emotion, feeling, sentiment
N3
記事
kiji
article, news story, report
N3
刑事
keiji
detective, criminal case
N3
見事
migoto
splendid, excellent, admirable
Kanji