結構
Meaning in Englishenough, fine, quite
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
結構 means 'That's fine' or 'That's enough' and can also mean 'quite' or 'fairly' depending on context; it functions as a sentence-ending response or as an adverb modifying adjectives.
Main meanings
- polite decline or approval meaning 'That's fine' or 'No, thank you' in phrases like 結構です
- degree modifier meaning 'quite; fairly; considerably' before adjectives (けっこう高い, けっこう難しい)
- positive assessment meaning 'splendid; excellent' in 結構な + noun or in phrases like 結構だ
How to use it
Used across formal and casual speech. In everyday conversation it often means 'That’s fine' or 'I’ll pass' when declining offers, while as an adverb it intensifies adjectives to mean 'quite' or 'fairly'; as 結構な it can express positive appraisal about a thing or situation.
Variants and close terms
- かなり (kanari) — quite
- 相当 (soutō) — fairly, considerably
- 十分 (jūbun) — enough
Composition
- 結: to tie, connect; imply bringing things together
- 構: structure, arrangement; imply form or organization
- Together they convey a sense of a well-formed state, which in usage evolves into meanings like adequacy or appropriateness
Etymology
結 to tie, bind; 構 structure, arrangement; the けっこう reading arises as a native kun'yomi compound, and the sense shifts from physical coherence to adequacy or acceptability in modern usage.
Word class
adverb; na-adjective (形容動詞)