JLPT N2 • GENERAL

微妙

A subtle change occurred in the relationship between the two countries.

Practice Question

両国の関係に ___ な変化が生じ、今後の展開はまだ予測できない。
Explanation

両国の関係に ___ な変化が生じ、今後の展開はまだ予測できない。

English Explanation

The correct answer is **微妙 (びみょう)**. "微妙な変化" means a 'subtle,' 'delicate,' or 'tricky' change, often implying that its implications are hard to grasp or predict. This perfectly explains why "今後の展開はまだ予測できない" (future developments are still unpredictable). **巧妙 (こうみょう)** means 'ingenious' or 'clever.' "巧妙な変化" would suggest a cleverly engineered change, not one leading to unpredictability in this sense. **絶妙 (ぜつみょう)** means 'exquisite' or 'perfect' (e.g., "絶妙なタイミング" - perfect timing). "絶妙な変化" would imply a perfectly balanced change, which again doesn't align with unpredictability. **奇妙 (きみょう)** means 'strange' or 'peculiar.' While a change might be strange, "奇妙な変化" doesn't inherently convey the sense of delicate uncertainty or difficulty in prediction as strongly as "微妙" does.

日本語解説

正解は**微妙**です。「微妙な変化」は、その変化が小さく捉えにくい、または複雑で先行きが不確かであることを意味し、「今後の展開は予測できない」という結果とよくつながります。 「巧妙」は巧みであること、「絶妙」は非常に素晴らしいこと、「奇妙」は不思議であることを表し、いずれも変化の予測不可能性を直接的に説明する言葉としては適切ではありません。

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