Translation and Meaning of: 影響 - eikyou

The Japanese word 影響 [えいきょう] is a fascinating term that carries deep meanings and various applications in everyday Japan. If you are learning Japanese or simply curious about this language, understanding what this expression represents can open doors to richer and more contextualized communication. In this article, we will explore its meaning, origin, translation, and how it is used in practice, as well as tips for memorizing it efficiently.

In the Suki Nihongo dictionary, 影響 is defined as "influence" or "impact," but its use goes beyond these literal translations. It appears in contexts ranging from discussions about politics to conversations about how certain actions affect the environment. Whether for those studying the language or for those interested in Japanese culture, knowing this word is essential.

Meaning and translation of 影響 [えいきょう]

The most common translation of 影響 is "influence," but depending on the context, it can also mean "effect," "impact," or even "repercussion." This flexibility allows the word to be used in various situations, from the corporate environment to discussions about social changes. For example, a company may analyze how its decisions have 影響 on the market, while a teacher may discuss how technology has 影響 on education.

It is worth noting that, although "influence" is the most direct translation, the term in Japanese carries a broader nuance. While in Portuguese "influence" may be associated only with people or ideas, 影響 can refer to natural phenomena, public policies, and even cultural trends. This scope makes it an essential word for anyone who wants to communicate precisely in Japanese.

Origin and composition of the kanjis 影響

The word 影響 is composed of two kanji: 影 (ei), which means "shadow" or "reflection," and 響 (kyou), which means "echo" or "resonance." Together, they form the idea of something that propagates, like an effect that spreads or an influence that resonates. This combination is not random—it reflects well the concept of something that leaves marks or consequences, even if indirect.

Interestingly, the origin of these kanji dates back to classical Chinese, where they were already used in similar contexts. Over the centuries, Japan incorporated these characters and adapted their meanings for the Japanese language, while still maintaining the notion of something that extends or affects other elements. This linguistic history helps explain why 影響 is so versatile and present in modern vocabulary.

How to use 影響 in daily life

In daily life, the Japanese use 影響 in situations ranging from informal conversations to professional reports. A sentence like "この映画は私に大きな影響を与えた" (Kono eiga wa watashi ni ookina eikyou o ataeta) means "This movie had a great impact on me." Notice how the term appears naturally to describe emotional or intellectual effects.

Another common example is in the context of news, where expressions like "経済への影響" (keizai e no eikyou) — "impact on the economy" — are frequent. This shows how the word is embedded in serious discussions and structural analyses. Knowing how to use it correctly can make a difference both in a writing task for the JLPT and in a business meeting.

Tips for memorizing 影響 [えいきょう]

An effective way to memorize this word is to associate the kanjis with mental images. Since 影 means "shadow" and 響 refers to "echo," think of something that casts a long shadow or a sound that resonates through an environment—both are visible metaphors of influence. This visualization technique helps to remember not only the meaning but also the writing of the characters.

Another strategy is to practice with real sentences, like those found in articles or dialogues from doramas. By seeing 影響 used in various contexts, your brain forms stronger connections with the term. Writing down examples in a notebook or an app like Anki also reinforces long-term learning.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 影響力 (Eikyouryoku) - Influence, the power to affect something
• 効果 (Kouka) - Effect, positive result of an action
• 作用 (Sayou) - Action, function of an agent or thing
• 影 (Kage) - Shadow, projected image
• 効力 (Kouryoku) - Potency, effectiveness of an agent
• 印象 (Inshou) - Impression, initial perception
• 感銘 (Kanmei) - Deep emotional impression
• 影像 (Eizou) - Image, visual representation
• 感動 (Kandou) - Emotion, deep feeling
• 感想 (Kansou) - Opinion, personal reflection
• 感受性 (Kanjusei) - Ability to feel or perceive
• 感受 (Kanju) - Sensation, perception
• 感覚 (Kankaku) - Sense, physical or mental sensation
• 作用力 (Sayouryoku) - Force of action, intensity of an effect
• 作用する (Sayou suru) - Act, have an effect
• 作用範囲 (Sayou han'i) - Area of effect or action
• 作用力学 (Sayourikigaku) - Dynamics of action, study of forces in action
• 作用機構 (Sayou kikou) - Mechanism of action, how something produces effect
• 作用原理 (Sayou genri) - Principles of action, foundations of an effect
• 作用物質 (Sayou busshitsu) - Substance in action, materials that have an effect
• 作用場所 (Sayou basho) - Location of action, where the effect occurs
• 作用時間 (Sayou jikan) - Duration of the action, time in which something acts
• 作用量 (Sayou ryou) - Amount of action, degree of influence
• 作用法 (Sayou hou) - Method of action, the way an effect is exerted
• 作用環境 (Sayou kankyou) - Action environment, conditions surrounding the effect
• 作用条件 (Sayou jouken) - Conditions of action, requirements for an effect to occur
• 作用温度 (Sayou ondo) - Action temperature, temperature influence on the effect
• 作用圧力 (Sayou atsuryoku) - Action pressure, force applied during the effect
• 作用方向 (Sayou houkou) - Direction of the action, path that an effect takes
• 作用面積 (Sayou menseki) - Area of action, surface where the effect manifests
• 作用形式 (Sayou keishiki) - Way of acting, style, or method used to act
• 作用速度 (Sayou sokudo) - Speed of action, how quickly something acts
• 作用力指数 (Sayouryoku shisuu) - Action force index, a measure of effectiveness
• 作用力測 (Sayouryoku soku) - Measure of the force of action, assessment of intensity

影響

Romaji: eikyou
Kana: えいきょう
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n3

Translation / Meaning: influence; It is made

Meaning in English: influence;effect

Definition: Power or effect on other people or things.

Example Sentences - (影響) eikyou

See below some example sentences:

経済の停滞は国民に大きな影響を与える。

Keizai no teitai wa kokumin ni ookina eikyou wo ataeru

The stagnation of the economy has a big impact on citizens.

Economic stagnation has a significant impact on the people.

• 経済 (keizai) - economy
• の (no) - Possessive particle
• 停滞 (teitai) - stagnation
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 国民 (kokumin) - citizens of the country
• に (ni) - target particle
• 大きな (ookina) - large
• 影響 (eikyou) - influence, impact
• を (wo) - direct object particle
• 与える (ataeru) - give, grant

漢語は日本語に多くの影響を与えました。

Kango wa nihongo ni ooku no eikyou wo ataemashita

Chinese words have had a great influence on Japanese.

The Chinese had a lot of influence on the Japanese.

• 漢語 (kan go) - Japanese word that means "Chinese words".
• は (wa) - Japanese grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence.
• 日本語 (ni hon go) - Japanese word that means "Japanese language".
• に (ni) - grammatical particle in Japanese that indicates the relationship of direction or destination.
• 多くの (ooku no) - Expression in Japanese that means "many" or "much".
• 影響を与えました (eikyou wo ataemashita) - Japanese phrase meaning "had a lot of influence".

汚染は環境に悪影響を与えます。

Osen wa kankyou ni aku eikyou wo ataemasu

Pollution has a negative impact on the environment.

Pollution has a negative effect on the environment.

• 汚染 (ossen) - pollution
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 環境 (kankyou) - Environment
• に (ni) - target particle
• 悪影響 (akueikyou) - negative effect
• を (wo) - direct object particle
• 与えます (ataemasu) - cause

欠乏は健康に悪影響を与える可能性があります。

Kekkou wa kenkou ni aku eikyou wo ataeru kanousei ga arimasu

Lack can have a negative effect on health.

Laws can have a negative effect on your health.

• 欠乏 (Kekkaku) - lack, scarcity
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 健康 (kenkou) - health
• に (ni) - target particle
• 悪影響 (aku eikyou) - negative effect, negative impact
• を (wo) - direct object particle
• 与える (ataeru) - Dar, fornecer
• 可能性 (kanousei) - possibility
• が (ga) - subject particle
• あります (arimasu) - exist, have

公害は環境に悪影響を与えます。

Kougai wa kankyou ni aku eikyou wo ataemasu

Environmental pollution has a negative impact on the environment.

Pollution has a negative effect on the environment.

• 公害 (kougai) - pollution
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 環境 (kankyou) - environment
• に (ni) - target particle
• 悪影響 (aku eikyou) - negative effect
• を (wo) - object particle
• 与えます (ataemasu) - cause, have an impact

伐採は環境に悪影響を与える。

Bassai wa kankyō ni aku eikyō o ataeru

Logging has a negative impact on the environment.

The cut has a negative effect on the environment.

• 伐採 - tree cutting
• は - Topic particle
• 環境 - environment
• に - Location particle
• 悪影響 - negative effect
• を - direct object particle
• 与える - cause

不潔な人は健康に悪影響を与える可能性があります。

Fuketsu na hito wa kenkō ni aku eikyō o ataeru kanōsei ga arimasu

The dirty person can have a negative impact on health.

Dirty people may have a negative effect on health.

• 不潔な人 (fuketsu na hito) - dirty person
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 健康 (kenkou) - health
• に (ni) - target particle
• 悪影響 (aku eikyou) - negative effect
• を (wo) - object particle
• 与える (ataeru) - cause
• 可能性 (kanousei) - possibility
• が (ga) - subject particle
• あります (arimasu) - exists

この問題は重大な影響を与える可能性がある。

Kono mondai wa juudai na eikyou wo ataeru kanousei ga aru

This issue has the potential to have a significant impact.

This issue can have a significant impact.

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
• 問題 - noun meaning "problem"
• は - topic particle that indicates that what follows is the subject of the sentence
• 重大な - adjective that means "serious" or "severe"
• 影響 - noun that means "influence" or "impact"
• を - object particle that indicates the target of the action
• 与える - verb meaning "to give" or "to grant"
• 可能性 - noun meaning "possibility"
• が - subject particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• ある - verb meaning "to exist" or "to have"

ストレスは健康に悪影響を与える可能性があります。

Sutoresu wa kenkō ni aku eikyō o ataeru kanōsei ga arimasu

Stress can have a negative impact on health.

Stress can have a negative effect on your health.

• ストレス - Japanese word meaning "stress"
• は - Particle in Japanese that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "stress"
• 健康 - Word in Japanese that means "health"
• に - Particle in Japanese that indicates the relationship between "stress" and "health", in this case, "affects health"
• 悪影響 - Japanese word meaning "negative effect"
• を - particle in Japanese that indicates the direct object of the sentence, in this case, "negative effect"
• 与える - Japanese verb that means "to cause"
• 可能性 - Word in Japanese that means "possibility"
• が - particle in Japanese that indicates the subject of the sentence, in this case, "possibility"
• あります - Verb in Japanese that means "to exist", in this case, "there is a possibility"
• . - period to indicate the end of the sentence

プラスチックは環境に悪影響を与えることがあります。

Purasuchikku wa kankyō ni aku eikyō o ataeru koto ga arimasu

Plastic can have a negative impact on the environment.

Plastic can have a negative effect on the environment.

• プラスチック - Word in Japanese that means "plastic"
• は - particle in Japanese that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 環境 - Japanese word meaning "environment"
• に - particle in Japanese that indicates the relationship of something with something else
• 悪影響 - Japanese word meaning "negative effect"
• を - particle in Japanese that indicates the object of the sentence
• 与える - Japanese verb that means "to cause"
• こと - noun in Japanese that means "thing"
• が - Particle in Japanese that indicates the subject of the sentence
• あります - verb in Japanese that means "to exist"