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工夫

くふう

device, contrivance, ingenuity, working out a way to do something

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. これは私が工夫した計画です。

    これはわたしがくふうしたけいかくです。

    This is a plan of my own devising.

  2. 狭い部屋を広く見せる工夫をした。

    せまいへやをひろくみせるくふうをした。

    I worked out some ways to make the small room look bigger.

  3. もう少し工夫すれば、もっと安くできるはずだ。

    もうすこしくふうすれば、もっとやすくできるはずだ。

    With a bit more ingenuity it should be possible to do it more cheaply.

Common patterns

工夫する
to devise a way, to be resourceful
工夫を凝らす
to put real thought and ingenuity into
創意工夫
originality and ingenuity

Memory tip

Read くふう these kanji mean ingenuity — finding a clever way with what you have. Read こうふ the very same kanji mean a manual labourer, which is where the base data's "worker" gloss came from.

Kanji in this word

Quick check

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What does 工夫 mean?