Word
前途
Meaning in Englishfuture prospects, outlook, the journey ahead
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
前途 means the future prospects or path that lies ahead for a person, project, or situation. It conveys what may unfold over time, including opportunities, development, and potential challenges.
Main meanings
- Future prospects or outlook for a person, organization, or situation.
- The path forward or trajectory of development in a given endeavor.
- In formal contexts, used to discuss long-term implications, including possibilities and potential difficulties ahead.
How to use it
Used in formal and written Japanese to discuss long-term implications, plans, or career trajectories. It appears in speeches, essays, business reports, and journalism. It is not common in casual everyday speech. Typical contexts include discussions of a person's future prospects, a project's outlook, or societal trends; it often collocates with adjectives describing positive or negative outcomes.
Variants and close terms
- 将来 (shourai) — future, prospects
- 未来 (mirai) — future
- 展望 (tenbou) — outlook, prospects
Composition
- 前 front, ahead; signals the part that lies before you in space or time.
- 途 road, path; used here to express a course or direction.
- Together they form the metaphor of the road ahead, i.e., the future prospects that lie before someone.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Related words by kanji and components
N1
途上
tojou
en/in route, half way
N1
途絶える
todaeru
to stop, to cease, to come to an end
N1
腕前
udemae
ability, skill, facility
N1
事前
jizen
prior, beforehand, in advance
N1
前提
zentei
preamble, premise, prerequisite
N1
前例
zenrei
precedent
N1
建前
tatemae
position; stance one takes in public; principle
N1
前売
maeuri
advance sale, booking
N1
前置き
maeoki
preface, introduction