勘弁
Meaning in Englishpardon, forgiveness, forbearance
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
勘弁 means a plea for mercy or leniency; it describes asking someone to spare you from an obligation, burden, or trouble by showing clemency rather than insisting on the issue.
Main meanings
- Mercy or leniency in a request to spare someone from trouble
- A plea to be excused from an obligation or to be pardoned for a misstep
- A casual expression meaning 'give me a break' in informal speech
- In formal contexts, ご勘弁ください expresses a polite request for mercy
How to use it
Used as a noun; in speech it appears in phrases with してくれ or ください to request mercy; casual, polite forms vary: 勘弁して, 勘弁してくれ, ご勘弁ください; common in everyday conversation, less common in formal writing.
Variants and close terms
- ご勘弁ください — formal, romaji gokanben kudasai
- 勘弁して — casual, romaji kanben shite
- 勘弁してくれ — casual request to someone familiar, romaji kanben shite kure
- Synonyms: 許してください — romaji yurushite kudasai
Composition
- 勘: perception, intuition
- 弁: speech, discretion
- Together they form a compound meaning to plead for leniency or pardon
Etymology
Borrowed from Chinese through Sino-Japanese usage; the two kanji are read with on'yomi as kanben, forming a compound that has long carried the notion of perceiving a need to restrain or forgive.
Origin
Origin: Sino-Japanese compound introduced via kanbun and Chinese influence; usage appears in Japanese from classical to modern times.
Word class
Noun (名詞)