How to say "tendency" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 傾向けいこうnounThe default choice for 'tendency': a general inclination or observable pattern, whether in people, data, or society. If unsure which word to pick, this is usually the safe one.
- 癖くせnounCovers the personal sense of 'tendency' as an ingrained habit, usually a bad or quirky one, such as a mannerism or unwanted behavior of an individual. Not used for trends or statistics.
- 動向どうこうnounRefers to the movement or direction of trends among groups, markets, or public opinion rather than an individual's inclination. Think of it as tracking where things are heading, as in reporting or analysis.
- 趨勢すうせいnounAlso describes a trend or tendency, but on a broad, collective scale — the overall drift or current direction of affairs. A somewhat formal word suited to discussing the big picture rather than individual behavior.
- 偏向へんこうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers a tendency as a propensity or inclination toward one side, often implying bias or lopsidedness; it can also mean deflection. Choose it when the leaning is unbalanced or skewed, not for neutral tendencies.
Use 傾向 for general inclinations and patterns, 動向 or 趨勢 for large-scale trends, 偏向 for biased leanings, and 癖 for personal habits, usually undesirable ones.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 傾向けいこうtendency
- 癖くせhabit (usu. a bad one)
- 動向どうこうtrend
- 趨勢すうせいtendency
- 偏向へんこうpropensity
- 性向せいこうinclination
- 体質たいしつconstitution (physical)
- テンデンシーtendency
- 趨向すうこうtendency
- 気運きうんtrend
- 帰趨きすうoutcome (of a course of events)
- 勢運せいうんtrend
- きらいtendency
- 向きむきtendency
- 気味きみtendency
- 傾きかたむきtendency
- 風潮ふうちょうtendency
- 機運きうんtrend
- 流れながれflow (of people, things)
- 潮流ちょうりゅうtendency
- 波なみtendency
- 色しょくtendency
See also
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