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適切 (てきせつ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

適てき切せつ

て

き

せ

つ

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun

appropriate; suitable; proper

Used for choices, actions, words, or measures that fit the situation well. Often implies a considered judgment about what is right or fitting.

この場ばに適てき切せつな言こと葉ばを選えらんでください。
Please choose words appropriate for this occasion.

適てき

切せつ

な

対たい

応おう

を

取と

る

こと

が

大たい

切せつ

だ

。

It is important to take appropriate measures.

Kanji

適suitable, occasional, rare
切cut, cutoff, be sharp

Similar words

妥だ当とう
妥当 is more about being reasonable, valid, or well-grounded in logic or standards, while 適切 emphasizes situational fit and practical suitability.
ふさわしい
ふさわしい is an i-adjective that often implies being worthy or matching a person's status or occasion, with a slightly more subjective or value-laden nuance than 適切.

Etymology

Compound of 適 (suitable, fit) and 切 (close, keen, cut). The combination conveys the idea of fitting closely to the situation. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning.