世間体

• 読み: せけんてい
• ローマ字: sekentei
• 漢字の分解: 世間 (society/community) + 体 (appearance/form) → one's outward appearance to the community
• 発音: /se.keɴ.te.i/

意味

Keeping up appearances; concern about how others in the community perceive you and your family.

世間体 describes the powerful social pressure to maintain a respectable public image within one's community. It influences major life decisions — career choices, marriage, education — and is often cited as a source of stress. While younger generations push back against 世間体, it remains a driving force in Japanese society, particularly for older generations and in rural communities.

例文

1. 世間体を気にしすぎて自分の好きなことができない。
2. 親は世間体ばっかり気にして、私の気持ちは無視。
3. 世間体なんかどうでもいいから自分らしく生きたい。

使い方ガイド

場面: family pressure, life decisions, social commentary, generational conflict

トーン: critical, frustrated, resigned

正しい言い方

• 世間体を気にする気持ちはわかるけど、自分の幸せも大事だよ (I understand worrying about appearances, but your own happiness matters too)
• 世間体のために我慢し続けるのは限界がある (There's a limit to enduring things just for appearances)

避ける言い方

• 他人の世間体を気にする理由を「くだらない」と切り捨てるのは共感に欠ける (Dismissing someone's concern about appearances as 'stupid' lacks empathy for the real social pressure they face)

よくある間違い

• Underestimating the real social consequences of ignoring 世間体 — community ostracism is a genuine risk, especially in smaller towns
• Thinking 世間体 is only about vanity — it often involves protecting family members from gossip and social exclusion

起源と歴史

From 世間 (society/the world/community) + 体 (body/form/appearance) — the form one presents to society. Reflects the Japanese concept that individual actions reflect on the entire family and community.

文化的背景

時代: Deep-rooted cultural concept, increasingly questioned in modern era

世代: All ages (strongest in older generations and rural areas)

社会的背景: Universal, especially families

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. Particularly powerful in rural communities and traditional families where social reputation directly affects daily life.