Translation and Meaning of: 約 - yaku

The Japanese word 「約」, pronounced as "yaku," is a kanji character with origins tracing back to ancient Chinese writing. In etymology, this kanji is composed of the radicals 「糸」(ito), which means "thread" or "line," and 「勺」(shaku), which represents a spoon or measurement. Together, these elements convey the idea of "connecting" or "uniting," giving rise to the meaning of "contract" or "promise" that the word possesses today.

In the linguistic context of Japanese, "yaku" serves to indicate concepts of promise, commitment, or agreement. This aligns perfectly with its frequent use in situations involving commitment, such as in contracts and agreements. Furthermore, the expression can also mean "approximately" or "around" when used to specify quantity or number, reflecting the idea of approximation or generalization.

The use of the term "yaku" extends to various compound words. For example, 「予約」(yoyaku) means "reservation" or "booking," while 「約束」(yakusoku) means "promise" or "agreement." These compounds show the flexibility and breadth of 「約」 in the Japanese vocabulary. It is interesting to note how the notion of "connection" or "link" is present in both cases, reinforcing the original meaning of the character.

The practical application of "yaku" in Japanese culture is broad. In business, legal, and even social contexts, having a clear understanding and the ability to use this word correctly is crucial. So significant is its importance that, when traveling or working in Japan, familiarizing oneself with the concept of "yaku" and its derivatives can greatly facilitate communication and understanding of commitments and expectations.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• おおよそ (ōyoso) - approximately, in general
• ほぼ (hobo) - almost, almost all
• およそ (oyoso) - approximately, on average
• あたり (atari) - about, around
• くらい (kurai) - about, approximately, around

約

Romaji: yaku
Kana: やく
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n3

Translation / Meaning: about; about; some

Meaning in English: approximately;about;some

Definition: Displaying fractions after the decimal point to measure or indicate a quantity or time.

Example Sentences - (約) yaku

See below some example sentences:

条約は国家間の合意を示します。

Jouyaku wa kokka-kan no gōi o shimeshimasu.

The treaty shows an agreement between nations.

• 条約 (jōyaku) - treaty
• 国家 (kokka) - nations, countries
• 間 (kan) - between
• 合意 (gōi) - agreement
• 示します (shimeshimasu) - show, represent

解除された契約はもう有効ではありません。

Kaijo sareta keiyaku wa mou yuko de wa arimasen

A terminated contract is no longer valid.

The cancellation contract is no longer valid.

• 解除された - past tense of the verb 解除する (cancel, rescind)
• 契約 - noun meaning contract
• は - Topic particle
• もう - adverb meaning "no longer" or "no longer"
• 有効 - adjective meaning valid, effective
• ではありません - formal negation of the affirmative form である (to be, to be)

私たちは約束を交わしました。

Watashitachi wa yakusoku o kawashimashita

We exchange promises.

We made a promise.

• 私たちは - We
• 約束 - Promise
• を - Direct object particle
• 交わしました - We did

契約を守ることが大切です。

Keiyaku wo mamoru koto ga taisetsu desu

It is important to comply with the contract.

It is important to keep the contract.

• 契約 - Contract
• を - object particle
• 守る - fulfill/keep
• こと - noun maker
• が - subject particle
• 大切 - important
• です - Verb to be/estar in the present

前もって予約をしてください。

Maemotte yoyaku o shite kudasai

Please make reservations in advance.

Please make a reservation in advance.

• 前もって - in advance
• 予約 - booking
• を - Direct object particle
• して - form of the verb "suru" (する) in the gerund
• ください - please, please about

倹約は美徳です。

Ken'yaku wa bitoku desu

Frugality is a virtue.

Frugal is a virtue.

• 倹約 - It means "economy" or "frugality" in Japanese.
• は - Grammatical particle that indicates the theme of the sentence.
• 美徳 - It means "virtue" or "merit" in Japanese.
• です - Verb "to be" in polite form.

この契約は無効です。

Kono keiyaku wa mukou desu

This contract is invalid.

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
• 契約 - noun meaning "contract" or "agreement"
• は - topic particle that indicates that what comes after is the main subject of the sentence
• 無効 - adjective meaning "invalid" or "null"
• です - verb "to be" in the present tense, which indicates the existence or quality of the subject
• . - punctuation indicating the end of the sentence

この契約は破棄されました。

Kono keiyaku wa haki sare mashita

This contract was canceled.

This contract was destroyed.

• この - demonstrative pronoun meaning "this" or "this"
• 契約 - noun meaning "contract"
• は - topic particle that indicates that what comes after is the main subject of the sentence
• 破棄 - noun meaning "cancellation" or "termination"
• されました - passive verb in the polite form that indicates that the action was performed in the past

座席を予約しました。

Zaseki wo yoyaku shimashita

I reserved a seat.

I reserved my seat.

• 座席 - Seat
• を - object particle
• 予約 - booking
• しました - past tense of the verb "to do"

彼は約束を果たした。

Kare wa yakusoku o hatashita

He fulfilled his promise.

• 彼 - Japanese pronoun meaning "he".
• は - Japanese particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "he".
• 約束 - Japanese noun that means "promise".
• を - Japanese particle indicating the direct object of the sentence, in this case, "promise".
• 果たした - Japanese verb that means "to fulfill".