状|じょうjou[0]heiban (flat)

1. noun, noun (suffix)form; shape; appearance
2. noun, noun (suffix)state; condition; circumstances
3. noun, noun (suffix)letter; correspondence

• Synonym状態じょうたいNeutralNeutral, everyday word for the state something is in at a given moment, as in 「健康状態」; it captures a snapshot of condition, whereas 状 mostly turns up as a suffix.
• Synonym有様ありさまWrittenWritten word for how things look or have turned out, often with a negative tinge, as in 「ひどい有様」; it paints a scene rather than naming a state like 状.
• Synonym具合ぐあいCasualColloquial word for how well a body or machine is working, as in 「具合が悪い」; it focuses on how good or bad the condition is, unlike the suffix 状.
• Related容態ようだいWrittenWritten and formal: a patient's medical condition, as in 「容態が悪化する」. Unlike the suffix 状, it is a standalone word used only for how an illness is going.
• Related状況じょうきょうNeutralNeutral and very common for a situation or state of affairs, as in 「現在の状況」. 状 itself mostly appears as a suffix, as in 「年賀状」 and 「症状」.
• Related様子ようすNeutralNeutral word for how things look or how someone seems, as in 「様子を見る」; it stresses outward observation rather than 状's suffix uses.
• Related塩梅あんばいCasualColloquial word for how a situation or one's body is doing, as in 「いい塩梅」; it carries a nuance of balance or blending that 状 lacks.
• RelatedコンディションNeutralLoanword for the condition of a person's body or of a field or court, as in 「コンディションが良い」; it never works as a suffix the way 状 does.
• Related様態ようたいWrittenWritten and academic: the form or state in which something exists; also a term in grammar. Unlike 状, it is not a suffix.

Use 「状」 as a suffix for letters (「招待状」) and for shapes or states (「液状」, 「症状」). On its own, pick 「状況」 or 「状態」 for a situation, 「様子」 for how something looks, 「容態」 for a patient's condition, and 「具合」 for your physical shape.

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

1. (ジョウ) 手紙てがみ。便たより。
2. (ジョウ) ありさま。ようす。