Word
事情
Meaning in Englishcircumstances, situation, reasons
Animated kanji stroke order
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)