synonym Comparative
お陰
VS
助長
Differences Between "お陰" and "助長"
Option A
お陰
Meaning
thanks to; because of (positive connotation)
Reading
おかげ (okage)
Syllabus Level
N3
Practical Example
先生のお陰で、試験に合格できました。
Thanks to the teacher, I was able to pass the exam.
Option B
助長
Meaning
to promote, to encourage, to foster, to exacerbate, to fuel (often with a negative connotation)
Reading
じょちょう (jochou)
Syllabus Level
N2
Practical Example
彼の無責任な行動が、チーム内の不信感を助長した。
His irresponsible actions fueled the distrust within the team.
Which one to use?
Select the correct Japanese word for this context
Which word fits this context: "(thanks to; because of (positive connotation))"?
🎉 正解 / Correct!
使い分け解説:
- お陰: Expresses gratitude or acknowledges a positive outcome resulting from someone's help, support, or a favorable circumstance. Can be used sarcastically in negative contexts, but usually positive.
- 助長: This word often carries a nuance of encouraging or promoting something undesirable or negative, such as inflation, bad habits, or conflict. While it can be used neutrally for growth/development, its negative connotation is very common. (「悪い結果を招くものを勢いづかせる」という否定的な意味合いで使われることが多い。)
- お陰: Expresses gratitude or acknowledges a positive outcome resulting from someone's help, support, or a favorable circumstance. Can be used sarcastically in negative contexts, but usually positive.
- 助長: This word often carries a nuance of encouraging or promoting something undesirable or negative, such as inflation, bad habits, or conflict. While it can be used neutrally for growth/development, its negative connotation is very common. (「悪い結果を招くものを勢いづかせる」という否定的な意味合いで使われることが多い。)
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