差さし支つかえ

さ

し

つ

か

え

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

hindrance; impediment; obstacle

Refers to something that prevents or delays an action; often used in polite expressions like 差し支えなければ (if it's not inconvenient).

差さし支つかえなければ、明日あしたお会あいできませんか。
If it's not inconvenient, could we meet tomorrow?

急きゅう

な

用よう

事じ

が

でき

て

、

仕し

事ごと

に

差さ

し

支つか

え

が

出で

た

。

An urgent matter came up and it interfered with my work.

Written forms

差さし支つかえUsage50%
Standard kanji spelling, commonly used in formal and business contexts.
さしつかえUsage31%
差さし支つかえUsage17%
Variant without okurigana し; less common but still seen.
差さし閊つかえUsage2%
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage with okurigana; very rare.
差さし閊つかえ
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; 閊 is a rare character not in standard lists.

Kanji

差distinction, difference, variation
支branch, support, sustain
閊to be obstructed, to be blocked, (kokuji)

Similar words

支し障しょう
支障 is more formal and often used in official or legal contexts, while 差し支え is common in everyday polite speech.
邪じゃ魔ま
邪魔 implies a physical or direct obstruction, often with a nuance of annoyance, whereas 差し支え is more about inconvenience or scheduling conflicts.

Etymology

Compound of 差し (prefix adding politeness or emphasis) and 支え (obstruction, support). The exact derivation is uncertain, but it has been used since the Edo period to mean hindrance or inconvenience.