名詞 I

円安えんやすが物価ぶっか上昇じょうしょうに拍車はくしゃをかけている。

The weak yen is accelerating the rise in prices.

Usage Almost always in 〜に拍車をかける — to accelerate something, usually an unwelcome trend. The subject is whatever speeds it up.

Remember it 拍 (strike) + 車 (wheel) → the rider's spur, driving a horse already running.

復旧ふっきゅうの目処めどはまだ立たっていない。

There is still no prospect of restoration.

Usage 目処が立つ / 立たない — to have, or not have, a prospect. 目処をつける is to set a target. Also written めど or 目途. Common in news.

Remember it 目 (eye) + 処 (place) → the place the eye is fixed on as the mark.

景気けいき回復かいふくの兆きざしが見みえ始はじめた。

Signs of economic recovery have begun to appear.

Usage 兆しが見える, 兆しが現れる — early signs. Used of good and bad alike. The Sino-Japanese equivalents are 兆候 and 前兆.

Remember it 兆 (omen, as in 前兆, 兆候) → the crack that shows before the break.

過度かどな競争きょうそうは様々さまざまな弊害へいがいを生うむ。

Excessive competition produces all sorts of harmful effects.

Usage 弊害が生じる, 弊害を招く — the damaging side effects of a system or a trend. Formal, and at home in argumentative writing.

Remember it 弊 (corrupt, worn out) + 害 (harm) → the harm that comes out of something gone bad.

創立そうりつ五十ごじゅう周年しゅうねんという節目ふしめの年としを迎むかえた。

We have reached the milestone of our fiftieth anniversary.

Usage 節目の年, 節目を迎える — a turning point. From the node of a bamboo stem, where one section ends. Used of life stages and company history.

Remember it 節 (a node of bamboo) + 目 → the joint where one length ends and the next begins.

一通いっつうの手紙てがみが事件じけん解決かいけつの糸口いとぐちとなった。

A single letter became the clue that solved the case.

Usage 糸口をつかむ, 糸口となる — a lead, a way in. Used of investigations, problems and negotiations. Close to 手がかり.

Remember it 糸 (thread) + 口 (the end) → the loose end of a tangled skein; find it and the whole thing unwinds.

批判ひはんの矛先ほこさきが経営けいえい陣じんに向むけられた。

The brunt of the criticism was directed at management.

Usage 矛先を向ける, 矛先が向かう — the point of attack. Partners: 批判, 非難, 攻撃. 矛先をかわす is to deflect it.

Remember it 矛 (spear) + 先 (tip) → the point of the spear, and where it is aimed.

新興しんこう勢力せいりょくの台頭たいとうが業界ぎょうかい地図ちずを塗ぬり替かえた。

The rise of new forces has redrawn the industry map.

Usage 〜の台頭 — the rise of a power or a trend. Also used as the verb 台頭する. Journalistic and historical.

Remember it 台 (stand) + 頭 (head) → the head coming up above the level of everything else.

大臣だいじんの発言はつげんは各方面かくほうめんに波紋はもんを広ひろげた。

The minister's remarks sent ripples in every direction.

Usage 波紋を呼ぶ, 波紋を広げる — to cause repercussions. From rings spreading where a stone falls — the same image as 一石を投じる.

Remember it 波 (wave) + 紋 (pattern) → the rings spreading out from one point.

今回こんかいの提携ていけいは、海外かいがい進出しんしゅつへの布石ふせきだ。

This tie-up is groundwork for expansion overseas.

Usage 布石を打つ — to lay the groundwork. From go, where stones are placed early for an advantage later. It implies long-term calculation.

Remember it 布 (lay out) + 石 (stone) → stones set down now for a position several moves away.

その仮説かせつにはまだ十分じゅうぶんな裏付うらづけがない。

That hypothesis still lacks sufficient corroboration.

Usage 裏付けを取る, 裏付けがある — supporting evidence. The verb is 裏付ける. Common in journalism, investigation and research.

Remember it 裏 (the back) + 付ける (attach) → backing fixed behind it so it will stand up.

今年度こんねんどの業績ぎょうせきの見通みとおしは厳きびしい。

The outlook for this year's results is difficult.

Usage 見通しが立つ, 見通しが甘い, 見通しが厳しい. 見通しが甘い, an over-optimistic forecast, is a frequent exam item. Also the literal sense: an unobstructed view.

Remember it 見る (see) + 通す (through) → seeing all the way through to what is coming.

物価ぶっか上昇じょうしょうに歯止はどめがかからない。

There is no braking the rise in prices.

Usage 歯止めをかける, 歯止めがかからない — a check on something. Always used of an unwelcome trend. From the chock under a wheel.

Remember it 歯 (tooth) + 止め (stop) → the toothed chock wedged under the wheel.

解決かいけつへの道筋みちすじをまず明あきらかにすべきだ。

The route to a solution should be made clear first.

Usage 道筋をつける, mapping out a route; and 話の道筋, the thread of an argument. Both senses are common.

Remember it 道 (road) + 筋 (line, sinew) → the line the road takes.

交渉こうしょうは大筋おおすじで合意ごういに達たっした。

The negotiations reached agreement in broad outline.

Usage 大筋で合意する — agreeing on the main points while details remain — is a set phrase in news. 話の大筋 is the gist.

Remember it 大 (large) + 筋 (main line) → the main line of it, with the branches left out.

信頼しんらいこそが組織そしき運営うんえいの土台どだいである。

Trust is the very foundation on which an organisation runs.

Usage The footing of a building; the abstract base, 土台を築く; and, as an adverb, 土台無理な話だ, 'it was never going to work' — an unexpected use, and a tested one.

Remember it 土 (earth) + 台 (platform) → the earth platform the whole house stands on.

理想りそうと現実げんじつの隔へだたりに苦くるしむ。

He suffers from the gap between the ideal and the reality.

Usage 隔たりがある, 隔たりが大きい — a gap in opinion, generation or time. The verbs are 隔てる and 隔たる. Close to 格差, but 隔たり is more abstract.

Remember it 隔 (separate, as in 隔離, 間隔) → the distance a partition puts between two things.

同社どうしゃはアジアの拠点きょてんをシンガポールに置おいている。

The company has its Asian base in Singapore.

Usage 拠点を置く, 拠点とする — a base of operations. Used of business, the military and relief work. 活動拠点 is a centre of activity.

Remember it 拠 (rely on) + 点 (point) → the point you operate from.

成果せいかだけを重視じゅうしする風潮ふうちょうには疑問ぎもんを感かんじる。

I have my doubts about the tendency to value results alone.

Usage 〜風潮がある, 風潮が強まる — a current in society, usually named in criticism. Unlike 流行, a passing fashion, 風潮 is a drift of thinking.

Remember it 風 (wind) + 潮 (tide) → the wind and tide of the times carrying everyone along.

環境かんきょう保護ほごの観点かんてんから、この計画けいかくは見直みなおすべきだ。

From the standpoint of environmental protection, this plan should be reviewed.

Usage 〜の観点から — from the standpoint of — is extremely common in argumentative writing. Close to 視点 and 立場, but 観点 is the more analytical.

Remember it 観 (view) + 点 (point) → the point you stand at to look from.