を契機に|をけいきに
- 1Someone takes an event as the opportunity to start, change or do something.Ex. 1
- 2An event serves as the turning point from which a development or change begins.Ex. 2
Verb (plain form)The plain (non-ます) forms of a verb: affirmative or negative, non-past or past.
行く・行かない・行った・行かなかった
The dictionary form is only one of these: 行く.
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This is a formal, written-style expression used in news, reports, speeches and essays. X is typically a significant event such as a job transfer, an anniversary, an incident or a policy change. It is more formal than をきっかけに and close in meaning to を機に.
Learners sometimes use it for trivial everyday triggers, where をきっかけに sounds more natural in casual speech.
Do not attach a verb directly; insert の or こと first, as in 退職したのを契機に, not 退職したを契機に.
Note that を契機に presents X as the trigger or starting point; for Y changing step by step along with X, use に伴って.
- 1.を機にN1「を機に」is basically the same as「を契機に」in meaning and patterns of attachment, and the two are interchangeable in most cases. 「を機に」is often used for life turning points such as marriage or retirement, carrying a nuance of seizing the moment, while「を契機に」is stiffer and more common in news and speeches.
- 2.をきっかけにN2「をきっかけに」is basically the same as「を契機に」in meaning and patterns of attachment, and the two are interchangeable in most cases. The difference is register: 「をきっかけに」is neutral and works in both speech and writing, and its first item is often a chance, concrete event, while「を契機に」is more formal and leans toward written style.
- 3.を皮切りにN1「を皮切りに」does not emphasize a cause or turning point; it only states where a series of activities or events begins, and the second item must imply something happening in succession or spreading. When the second item is just a single change, only「を契機に」can be used.
- 4.に伴ってN2「に伴って」means the second item appears in step with the change or occurrence of the first, emphasizing accompaniment; 「を契機に」emphasizes taking the first item as a turning point to bring about a new action or change. The former can attach directly to a verb in dictionary form, while「を契機に」requires「の」.
- 5.に際してN2「に際して」refers to the moment one faces an important matter, followed by things to do at that time such as remarks or procedures, and does not express resulting change or a new start; it can attach directly to a verb in dictionary form. The two are generally not interchangeable.
をきっかけに is the neutral, conversational counterpart and can take minor triggers, while を機に is very close in meaning to を契機に. を皮切りに marks the first of a series of similar events, に伴って expresses change that proceeds alongside X, and に際して simply means "on the occasion of" without implying a turning point.
