How to say "circumstances" in Japanese

• 環境かんきょうJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounCovers 'circumstances' in the sense of the conditions surrounding a person — home, work or social surroundings. It points to the setting around someone, not the particular reasons behind a single matter.
  私わたしたちが環境かんきょう面めんの問題もんだいを耳みみにしないで過すぎる日ひは１日にちとてない。↗

  Not a day goes by without our hearing of an environmental problem.
• 際さいJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounSeldom the word you want for 'circumstances' as conditions or reasons: it really means 'occasion' or 'time when', so it fits 'in that case' or 'on that occasion' rather than describing a situation.
  火事かじの際さいは１１９番ばんに電話でんわしてください。↗

  In the case of fire, dial 119.
• 事情じじょうJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounUse this for 'circumstances' meaning the facts or reasons behind a situation, often ones beyond one's control. It fits when explaining why something cannot be done or why plans have changed.
  そこに行いくかもしれないが、それは事情じじょう次第しだいだ。↗

  I may go there, but that depends.
• 都合つごうJLPT N4approx.Common
  nounCovers 'circumstances' as convenience or suitability, especially for scheduling and availability. Use it when saying whether a time or arrangement works for someone, rather than for the reasons behind a matter.
  何時いつがご都合つごうよいでしょうか。↗

  What time will be right for you?
• 様子ようすJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounRefers to the state of affairs as it presents itself — how things look or are going at a given moment. Choose it for describing an observable situation, not for the reasons behind it.

Choose 事情 for the reasons behind a situation, 都合 for convenience or scheduling, 環境 for the surrounding conditions of life or work, 様子 for how things stand, and 際 only for 'occasion' or 'case'.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 環境かんきょうenvironment
• 際さいoccasion
• 事情じじょうcircumstances
• 都合つごうcircumstances
• 様子ようすstate (of affairs)
• 事態じたいsituation
• 有様ありさまstate
• 場合ばあいcase
• 状態じょうたいstate
• 状況じょうきょうstate of affairs
• 情状じょうじょうcircumstances
• 子細しさいreasons
• 経緯けいいdetails
• 情勢じょうせいstate of things
• ゆえreason
• ばやいcase
• 境涯きょうがいcircumstances
• 事局じきょくcircumstances
• 事の次第ことのしだいcircumstances
• 吹き回しふきまわしthe direction of the wind
• わけあいreason
• 委曲いきょくdetails
• 訳柄わけがらreason
• 顛末てんまつdetails (of an incident, event, etc.)
• 巨細きょさいlarge and small matters
• 行きがかりいきがかり(by force of) circumstances
• ことcircumstances
• 辺へんcircumstances
• 事故じこcircumstances
• 背景はいけいbackground (of an incident, situation, etc.)
• 状じょうstate
• 始末しまつcourse of events
• 文脈ぶんみゃくcontext (of a matter, event, etc.)
• バックグラウンドbackground (of an event, person, etc.)
• 振り合いふりあいcircumstances
• 訳わけcircumstances
• 話はなしcircumstances
• 次第しだいcircumstances