Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“Taking advantage of an opportunity,” “with X as a turning point/trigger,” or “prompted by X.”
🎯 Primary Function
To indicate that a specific event, incident, or situation served as a direct cause, trigger, or significant turning point for a subsequent action, change, or development. It emphasizes the foundational role of the initial event leading to a major outcome.
📋 Grammar Structure
名詞 (Noun) + を契機に / を契機として / を契機とした + 名詞 (Noun)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Highly formal and suitable for serious discussions, presentations, and official statements.
Informal Situations
Rarely used in casual conversation; it would sound overly stiff and unnatural.
Written Language
Very common in written Japanese, especially in news articles, reports, essays, academic papers, and official documents.
Spoken Language
Used in formal speeches, public addresses, or solemn discussions, but not in everyday spoken Japanese.
💡 Common Applications
Describing Historical or Societal Changes
Used to explain how a significant historical event or social phenomenon led to broad, long-term changes in society.
Example: 東日本大震災を契機に、国民の防災意識が高まった。(Prompted by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the nation’s disaster prevention awareness increased.)
Highlighting Personal Turning Points (Formal Context)
Though formal, it can describe a major life-changing event that fundamentally altered someone’s path or perspective.
Example: 彼はその出会いを契機に、人生の目標を見つけ、大きく成長した。(Taking that encounter as a turning point, he found his life’s goal and grew significantly.)
Explaining Business or Industrial Developments
Used to attribute rapid growth or significant shifts in an industry to a specific technological advancement or market change.
Example: 新しい技術の開発を契機として、その産業は急速な発展を遂げた。(With the development of new technology as a trigger, that industry achieved rapid growth.)
Frequency
Moderate to high in formal, written, and public discourse contexts.
Difficulty
JLPT N2
Example Sentences
東日本大震災を契機に、国民の防災意識が高まった。
Prompted by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the nation’s disaster prevention awareness increased.
彼はその出会いを契機に、人生の目標を見つけ、大きく成長した。
Taking that encounter as a turning point, he found his life’s goal and grew significantly.
新しい技術の開発を契機として、その産業は急速な発展を遂げた。
With the development of new technology as a trigger, that industry achieved rapid growth.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Significance of the Preceding Event
The event or situation preceding 「を契機に」 is almost always significant and impactful, leading to a substantial, often long-term or fundamental change. It is not used for minor or trivial causes.
Example: × ラーメンを食べたのを契機に、お腹が痛くなった。(Incorrect, too trivial)
Formality and Usage Context
This expression carries a high degree of formality. It is most commonly found in written language like news reports, academic papers, and official statements, as well as formal speeches.
Example: ニュース：「今回の法改正を契機に、社会は大きく変わるだろう。」(News: “Prompted by this legal reform, society will likely change significantly.”)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Using in Casual Conversation
✅ Avoid using 「を契機に」 in everyday, informal spoken Japanese. It sounds overly formal and stiff.
In casual situations, 「～をきっかけに」 or even simple 「～から」 would be more natural.
❌ Confusing with Less Significant Triggers
✅ Reserve 「を契機に」 for truly significant, impactful, or historical turning points, not for minor or common occurrences.
While similar to 「～をきっかけに」, 「契機」 implies a more fundamental and often weighty trigger for major consequences.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Very polite and formal. It elevates the tone of the discourse.
Social Situations: Appropriate for formal presentations, academic discussions, serious news reporting, official announcements, and reflective essays.
Regional Variations: No significant regional variations in its usage or meaning.
🔍 Subtle Differences
を契機に vs. をきっかけに
「契機」 (keiki) implies a more significant, fundamental, and often historical or societal turning point, a substantial trigger for major change. 「きっかけ」 (kikkake) can be a more casual, everyday “trigger” or “starting point” for a less profound or personal change.
When to use: Use 「を契機に」 for major, impactful events (e.g., natural disasters, technological breakthroughs, policy changes). Use 「をきっかけに」 for more general, often personal or minor, starting points (e.g., “I started studying Japanese with this book as a trigger”).
を契機に vs. を機に
Both are very close in meaning and often interchangeable in formal contexts. 「機」 (ki) also means “opportunity” or “chance.” While 「を契機に」 emphasizes the “triggering cause” aspect slightly more for fundamental changes, 「を機に」 often emphasizes “taking advantage of an opportunity.” 「を機に」 can sometimes feel marginally less weighty.
When to use: They are largely interchangeable in formal contexts for significant events. If the emphasis is on a momentous “triggering event,” 「を契機に」 might be slightly preferred. If the focus is on “seizing a new opportunity,” 「を機に」 can also be used.
を契機に vs. を機会に
「機会」 (kikai) means “opportunity” or “chance.” While similar to 「を機に」, 「を機会に」 can sometimes carry a slightly stronger nuance of explicitly seizing an available chance. It can be used in less profound contexts than 「を契機に」.
When to use: Use 「を契機に」 for significant, fundamental turning points. Use 「を機会に」 when the emphasis is on making the most of an available chance or opportunity, which may not be as grand or impactful as a “契機.”
📝 Conjugation Notes
The pattern is fixed: Noun + を契機に. 「契機」 itself is a noun and does not undergo verbal conjugation. You can also use 「を契機として」 (as a turning point) or 「を契機としたN」 (N that had X as a turning point).
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The pronunciation of 契機 is けいき (keiki). Pay attention to the long vowel sound for 「けい」, which is pronounced like “kay” in English followed by “key” but with a slight elongation on the “e” sound.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of 契 (けい) as related to “contract” or “agreement” (a defining point), and 機 (き) as “machine” or “opportunity.” Together, 「契機」 suggests a “pivotal turning point” or a “defining opportunity” that sets something major in motion.
Vocabulary List
東日本大震災
Higashi Nihon Daishinsai
Great East Japan Earthquake
国民
kokumin
nation’s people, citizens
防災意識
bōsai ishiki
disaster prevention awareness
高まる
takamaru
to increase, to rise
出会い
deai
encounter, meeting
人生
jinsei
life
目標
goal, objective
Kanji List
契
けい
occasion, opportunity, to be connected
機
き
machine, chance, opportunity, occasion
東
ひがし
east
日
にち
day, sun, Japan
本
ほん
book, origin, main
大
だい
big, large, great
震
しん
quake, shake
災
さい
disaster
国
こく
country
民
みん
people
防
ぼう
prevent, protect
Practice Exercises
A major turning point for the company was _______ introduction of new technology.
新技術をきっかけに
新技術を契機に
新技術を機に
新技術を機会に
Fill in the blank: 彼はその出来事＿＿＿、真剣に将来を考え始めた。
に契機
を契機に
の契機で
契機に
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