Word
応接
Meaning in Englishreception
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
応接 refers to the formal act or place of receiving visitors; it denotes a reception in which guests are greeted and entertained, and is commonly used in offices, hotels, and official settings.
Main meanings
- The formal reception of visitors or clients in a business or official context.
- The physical space used for receiving guests, typically a reception room or lounge in an office or hotel.
- The act of hosting or entertaining guests, often expressed with 応接する in formal language.
How to use it
Used in formal and business contexts to describe the act or space of receiving visitors; common phrases include 応接室 for a reception room and 応接を設ける to arrange such a reception; it's less common in casual speech and tends to appear in corporate, hotel, or official settings.
Variants and close terms
- 接待 (settai) — hosting guests or hospitality
- 応対 (outai) — handling or responding to visitors
- 応接室/応接間 (ousetsushitsu/ousetsuma) — variants referring to a reception room
Composition
- 応: respond, comply, answer
- 接: touch, connect, receive
Etymology
応 corresponds to responding or complying, 接 corresponds to touching, connecting, or receiving; the compound uses the on'yomi readings おう and せつ to yield ousetsu, a Sino-Japanese construction rather than a native development.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Related words by kanji and components
N1
応急
oukyuu
emergency
N1
応募
oubo
subscription, application
N1
接触
sesshoku
touch, contact
N1
接続詞
setsuzokushi
conjunction
N1
相応
souou
suitability, fitness
N1
対応
taiou
dealing with
N1
適応
tekiou
adaptation, accommodation, conformity
N1
密接
missetsu
connected, close, intimate
N1
反応
hannou
reaction, response