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道Nihongo Path

弱

じゃく

a little under (a stated number); weakness; the weak

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. 駅まで三十分弱で着いた。

    えきまでさんじゅっぷんじゃくでついた。

    It took a little under thirty minutes to reach the station.

  2. 6月末に参加者を募ったら1週間弱で約500席が予約でいっぱいになった。

    ろくがつまつにさんかしゃをつのったらいっしゅうかんじゃくでやくごひゃくせきがよやくでいっぱいになった。

    When participants were sought at the end of June, about 500 seats were reserved in under a week.

  3. 会場には千人弱が集まったそうだ。

    かいじょうにはせんにんじゃくがあつまったそうだ。

    Apparently just under a thousand people gathered at the venue.

  4. 音の強弱を意識して演奏しなさい。

    おとのきょうじゃくをいしきしてえんそうしなさい。

    Play with an awareness of loud and soft.

Common patterns

〜分弱
a little under ... minutes
〜人弱
just under ... people
強弱
strength and weakness; dynamics

Memory tip

Attached after a quantity, 弱 shaves a bit off it: 一時間弱 is slightly less than an hour. Its mirror image is 強 — 一時間強 is slightly more. Both go after the number, never before.

Kanji in this word

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What does 弱 mean?