変化・推移

会議かいぎの時間じかんが三時さんじに変更へんこうされました。

The meeting time has been changed to three o'clock.

Usage 変更 is changing a plan, setting or detail: 予定を変更する, 変更点 (changes), 住所変更 (change of address). 変化 (へんか) is change that happens by itself.

Remember it 変 (to change) + 更 (to renew) → changing and renewing.

為替かわせレートの変動へんどうが激はげしい。

Exchange rates are fluctuating wildly.

Usage 変動 is fluctuation up and down: 価格変動 (price swings), 気候変動 (climate change), 変動が大きい. 変化 is change in general.

Remember it 変 (to change) + 動 (to move) → changing and moving about.

会社かいしゃは経営けいえい方針ほうしんを大おおきく転換てんかんした。

The company made a major change in its management policy.

Usage 転換 is switching direction or converting: 方針転換 (a policy shift), 気分転換 (a change of pace), 発想の転換 (a new way of looking at things).

Remember it 転 (to turn) + 換 (to exchange) → turning and swapping.

来年らいねんから新あたらしいシステムに移行いこうする予定よていだ。

We plan to move to a new system from next year.

Usage 移行 is a transition from one system or stage to another: 〜に移行する, 移行期間 (transition period). 移動 (いどう) is physical movement.

Remember it 移 (to shift) + 行 (to go) → shifting over to something new.

過去かこ十年間じゅうねんかんの人口じんこうの推移すいいをグラフで示しめした。

I showed the population trend over the past ten years in a graph.

Usage 推移 is how something changes over time, a staple of reading passages with graphs: 人口の推移, 〜で推移する (hover at), 推移を見守る (watch how things develop).

Remember it 推 (to push) + 移 (to shift) → how things shift as time pushes on.

両国りょうこくの交渉こうしょうに大おおきな進展しんてんがあった。

There was major progress in the negotiations between the two countries.

Usage 進展 is progress in a situation, talks or a relationship: 進展がある / ない, 捜査が進展する (an investigation moves forward). 進歩 is progress in skill or technology.

Remember it 進 (to advance) + 展 (to unfold) → a situation advancing and unfolding.

景気けいきの停滞ていたいが長ながく続つづいている。

The economic stagnation has continued for a long time.

Usage 停滞 = stagnation: 景気が停滞する, 停滞前線 (a stationary weather front), 停滞期 (a plateau, as in dieting).

Remember it 停 (to stop) + 滞 (to stagnate) → stopped and stuck.

雨あめで足元あしもとの状態じょうたいが悪化あっかしている。

The rain is making the ground underfoot worse.

Usage 悪化 = getting worse: 悪化する, 病状が悪化する (a condition worsens), 関係の悪化. Its opposite is 改善 or 好転 (こうてん). Note the small tsu: あっか.

Remember it 悪 (bad) + 化 (to become) → becoming bad.

働はたらき方かたを改善かいぜんするために話はなし合あいが行おこなわれた。

Discussions were held to improve the way people work.

Usage 改善 = improvement: 改善する, 改善点 (areas to improve), 改善策. Kaizen, continuous improvement, is a famous Japanese management idea.

Remember it 改 (to reform) + 善 (good) → reforming for the better.

手術しゅじゅつの後あと、順調じゅんちょうに回復かいふくしている。

I've been recovering well since the operation.

Usage 回復 is recovery: 体力が回復する, 景気が回復する, 信頼を回復する (win back trust), 天気が回復する (the weather clears up).

Remember it 回 (to turn back) + 復 (to return) → turning back to how it was.

気温きおんの上昇じょうしょうで氷こおりが溶とけ始はじめた。

With the rise in temperature, the ice began to melt.

Usage 上昇 = a rise, formal: 上昇する, 気温の上昇, 物価上昇 (rising prices), 上昇志向 (ambition). In speech, 上がる.

Remember it 上 (up) + 昇 (to rise) → rising up.

飛行機ひこうきがゆっくりと下降かこうを始はじめた。

The plane slowly began its descent.

Usage 下降 = descent or decline: 下降する, 下降線をたどる (be on a downward trend), 支持率の下降. Its opposite is 上昇.

Remember it 下 (down) + 降 (to descend) → coming down.

外国人がいこくじん観光客かんこうきゃくの数かずが年々ねんねん増加ぞうかしている。

The number of foreign tourists is increasing every year.

Usage 増加 = increase in number or amount: 増加する, 人口増加, 増加傾向 (upward trend). Its opposite is 減少. In speech, 増える (ふえる).

Remember it 増 (to increase) + 加 (to add) → adding more.

少子化しょうしかで子供こどもの数かずが減少げんしょうしている。

Because of the falling birthrate, the number of children is decreasing.

Usage 減少 = decrease: 減少する, 人口減少, 減少傾向. Its opposite is 増加. In speech, 減る (へる).

Remember it 減 (to decrease) + 少 (few) → becoming fewer.

写真しゃしんを拡大かくだいして、細こまかい部分ぶぶんを確認かくにんした。

I enlarged the photo to check the fine details.

Usage 拡大 is expanding or enlarging: 画面を拡大する (zoom in), 事業拡大 (business expansion), 感染拡大 (spread of infection). Its opposite is 縮小.

Remember it 拡 (to widen) + 大 (big) → widening and making bigger.

不景気ふけいきのため、会社かいしゃは事業じぎょうを縮小しゅくしょうした。

Because of the recession, the company scaled back its business.

Usage 縮小 is reducing or scaling down: 規模を縮小する, 縮小コピー (a reduced copy). Its opposite is 拡大. 縮む (ちぢむ) = to shrink.

Remember it 縮 (to shrink) + 小 (small) → shrinking smaller.

交通こうつうの発達はったつで、遠とおくの町まちにも簡単かんたんに行いけるようになった。

With the development of transport, it's become easy to get to faraway towns.

Usage 発達 is development or growth toward maturity: 子供の発達, 技術の発達, 台風が発達する (a typhoon strengthens). 発展 is growth and expansion of cities or economies.

Remember it 発 (to start) + 達 (to reach) → starting out and reaching maturity.

地震じしんで古ふるい建物たてものが崩壊ほうかいした。

The old building collapsed in the earthquake.

Usage 崩壊 is collapse, physical or figurative: 建物の崩壊, バブル崩壊 (the bubble bursting), 家庭崩壊 (family breakdown), 学級崩壊 (a class out of control).

Remember it 崩 (to crumble) + 壊 (to break) → crumbling and breaking.

配送中はいそうちゅうに商品しょうひんが破損はそんしてしまった。

The product was damaged during delivery.

Usage 破損 is damage or breakage to objects, a formal word used by shops and insurers: 破損する, 破損品. In conversation, 壊れる.

Remember it 破 (to tear, break) + 損 (to damage) → broken and damaged.

専門家せんもんかが古ふるい絵画かいがを修復しゅうふくしている。

Experts are restoring the old painting.

Usage 修復 is restoring something to how it was: 文化財の修復, 関係を修復する (mend a relationship). 修理 is repairing a machine.

Remember it 修 (to fix) + 復 (to return) → fixing it back to how it was.

健康けんこうを維持いじするために、毎日まいにち歩あるいている。

I walk every day to stay healthy.

Usage 維持 = maintaining: 維持する, 現状維持 (keeping things as they are), 維持費 (upkeep costs), 体重を維持する.

Remember it 維 (to tie, hold) + 持 (to hold) → holding on to how things are.

継続けいぞくは力ちからなりという言葉ことばがある。

There's a saying that persistence is power.

Usage 継続 is continuing: 継続する, 継続的に (continuously), 契約の継続 (contract renewal). 継続は力なり is a well-known Japanese saying.

Remember it 継 (to succeed, carry on) + 続 (to continue) → carrying on and continuing.

雨あめのため、試合しあいが一時いちじ中断ちゅうだんされた。

The game was temporarily suspended because of the rain.

Usage 中断 is interrupting something that will resume later: 中断する, 一時中断 (a pause). 中止 (ちゅうし) is cancelling it altogether.

Remember it 中 (middle) + 断 (to cut) → cutting off in the middle.

電車でんしゃが緊急きんきゅう停止ていしした。

The train made an emergency stop.

Usage 停止 is stopping, formal or official: 一時停止 (stop sign, pause), 営業停止 (business suspension), 心肺停止 (cardiac arrest).

Remember it 停 (to halt) + 止 (to stop) → halting to a stop.

工事こうじは来週らいしゅうから再開さいかいされる予定よていだ。

The construction is scheduled to resume next week.

Usage 再開 = resuming: 再開する, 営業を再開する (reopen for business), 試合再開. Don't confuse with 再会 (さいかい, a reunion).

Remember it 再 (again) + 開 (to open) → opening again.

三年さんねんかけて、ついに新あたらしい橋はしが完成かんせいした。

After three years, the new bridge was finally completed.

Usage 完成 = completion: 完成する, 完成品 (finished product), 未完成 (unfinished), 完成度が高い (highly polished).

Remember it 完 (complete) + 成 (to become) → becoming complete.

長年ながねんの夢ゆめがついに実現じつげんした。

My long-held dream finally came true.

Usage 実現 is making something real: 夢が実現する, 実現可能 (feasible), 実現に向けて (toward realizing it).

Remember it 実 (real) + 現 (to appear) → appearing in reality.

長年ながねんの努力どりょくの末すえに、目標もくひょうを達成たっせいした。

After years of effort, I achieved my goal.

Usage 目標を達成する is the standard collocation. の末に = after a long process of. Note the small tsu: たっせい. 達成感 = a sense of achievement.

Remember it 達 (to reach) + 成 (to accomplish) → reaching and accomplishing.

国会こっかいで新あたらしい法律ほうりつが成立せいりつした。

The new law was passed by the Diet.

Usage 成立 is something being formed or coming into effect: 法律が成立する, 契約が成立する (a contract is concluded), 交渉成立 (a deal is struck).

Remember it 成 (to form) + 立 (to stand) → forming and standing up.

このままでは多おおくの村むらが消滅しょうめつしてしまう。

At this rate, many villages will disappear.

Usage 消滅 = disappearing, ceasing to exist: 消滅する, 自然消滅 (dying out naturally), 消滅可能性都市 (towns at risk of vanishing).

Remember it 消 (to vanish) + 滅 (to perish) → vanishing and perishing.

スマートフォンの出現しゅつげんで、生活せいかつが大おおきく変かわった。

The arrival of smartphones changed our lives dramatically.

Usage 出現 is the appearance or emergence of something new: 出現する, 新しい技術の出現. 登場 is making an entrance, like a product or character.

Remember it 出 (to come out) + 現 (to appear) → coming out and appearing.

テレワークという働はたらき方かたがすっかり定着ていちゃくした。

Remote work has become firmly established.

Usage 定着 is taking root and becoming established: 習慣が定着する, 定着率 (retention rate). In photography, it means fixing an image.

Remember it 定 (to settle) + 着 (to attach) → settling in and sticking.

電気でんき自動車じどうしゃが少すこしずつ普及ふきゅうしてきた。

Electric cars have gradually become more widespread.

Usage 普及 is spreading widely through society: 普及する, 普及率 (penetration rate), スマホの普及. 流行 (りゅうこう) is a temporary fad.

Remember it 普 (widely) + 及 (to reach) → reaching widely.

新あたらしいルールが社員しゃいんに浸透しんとうするには時間じかんがかかる。

It takes time for new rules to sink in with employees.

Usage 浸透 is soaking in, literally or as ideas spreading: 水が浸透する, 考え方が浸透する. It suggests slow, deep spread.

Remember it 浸 (to soak) + 透 (to pass through) → soaking all the way through.

その動画どうがはSNSで一気いっきに拡散かくさんされた。

The video spread across social media in no time.

Usage 拡散 is spreading out or diffusing, and now going viral: SNSで拡散する, 拡散希望 (please share). In science, diffusion.

Remember it 拡 (to widen) + 散 (to scatter) → widening and scattering.

意見いけんの違ちがいから、党とうが二ふたつに分裂ぶんれつした。

Because of differing opinions, the party split in two.

Usage 分裂 is splitting apart: 党が分裂する, 細胞分裂 (cell division), 核分裂 (nuclear fission).

Remember it 分 (to divide) + 裂 (to tear) → dividing and tearing apart.

二ふたつの学校がっこうが統合とうごうされて、一ひとつになった。

The two schools were merged into one.

Usage 統合 is integrating or consolidating: 統合する, 学校の統合, システム統合. 合併 (がっぺい) is specifically a merger of companies or towns.

Remember it 統 (to unify) + 合 (to combine) → unifying and combining.

この料理りょうりは和食わしょくと洋食ようしょくの融合ゆうごうだ。

This dish is a fusion of Japanese and Western cuisine.

Usage 融合 is fusion, blending into one: 伝統と現代の融合, 文化の融合, 核融合 (nuclear fusion). 統合 is organizational integration.

Remember it 融 (to melt) + 合 (to combine) → melting together.

最後さいごの一分いっぷんで逆転ぎゃくてん勝利しょうりを収おさめた。

They came from behind to win in the final minute.

Usage 逆転 is a reversal: 逆転勝ち / 逆転勝利 (come-from-behind win), 立場が逆転する (the tables turn), 逆転の発想 (thinking in reverse).

Remember it 逆 (reverse) + 転 (to turn) → turning the other way.

地震じしんの後あと、電気でんきが復旧ふっきゅうするまで二日ふつかかかった。

After the earthquake, it took two days for the power to be restored.

Usage 復旧 is restoring services or infrastructure: 電気が復旧する, 復旧作業 (repair work), 復旧の見込み. 復興 (ふっこう) is rebuilding a whole region.

Remember it 復 (to return) + 旧 (old state) → returning to the old state.