Word
Kana: ようい Romaji: youi Level: N4

用意

Meaning in English

preparation, readiness

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Word context

What it means

用意 means the act or state of making things ready in advance, covering preparations, arrangements, and provisions needed for a task, event, or situation to ensure readiness.

Main meanings

  • General meaning: preparation or getting ready for a task or event.
  • Provisions or arrangements: the items and plans arranged in advance, such as equipment or materials.
  • Fixed expressions: phrases like 用意ができる and 用意周到 that convey readiness or thorough planning.

How to use it

Used in formal and informal contexts to indicate planning and provisioning; typically with suru to form a verb. In business, travel, events, and daily life, it describes getting things ready such as equipment, plans, or arrangements; common collocations include 用意する (youi suru) and 用意ができる (youi ga dekiru).

Variants and close terms

  • 準備 junbi — synonym meaning preparation
  • 用意周到 youi-shūtō — thorough preparation
  • セットアップ setto appu — setup, arrangement

Composition

  • 用: to use, purpose
  • 意: mind, intention
  • Combination: the two kanji together express readiness achieved by planning and organizing what is needed to use things with a deliberate aim.

Etymology

on'yomi yōi combines the Sino-Japanese readings of 用 and 意; the pronunciation reflects historical Chinese phonology adapted into Japanese, with no kun'yomi used in standard usage.

Origin

Adoption of kanji from China placed this term in Japanese written language; usage appears in classical texts and everyday discourse as a general concept of preparing and arranging in advance.

Word class

Noun (名詞); can take suru to form 用意する

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