切り開く

• 読み: きりひらく
• ローマ字: kirihiraku
• 漢字の分解: 切 (setsu/ki) — cut; 開 (kai) — open up, pioneer, reveal
• 発音: /ki.ɾi.çi.ɾa.kɯ/

意味

To clear land by cutting through vegetation; to pioneer a new path or field; to open up new possibilities where none existed.

A Group 1 (godan) verb evoking the image of literally cutting through dense forest or scrubland to create open space. In figurative use — which is very common — it means carving out a new future, pioneering a new field, or creating opportunities through one's own effort. Often collocates with 道 (path), 未来 (future), 可能性 (possibilities), or 新天地 (new frontier). Carries a strongly positive, aspirational connotation and is frequently used in speeches and motivational contexts.

例文

1. 自分の道は自分で切り開くしかないと、彼は移住先での新生活に踏み出した。
2. 明治時代の先駆者たちは荒野を切り開き、近代産業の礎を築いた。
3. 最先端の研究が医療の新たな地平を切り開きつつある。

使い方ガイド

場面: history, self-development, science, motivational speech

トーン: aspirational

起源と歴史

Compound of 切る (to cut) and 開く (to open up, to pioneer). The literal image is of cutting through dense terrain to create a clearing, later extended to pioneering any previously unexplored domain.

文化的背景

時代: Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: All classes