曖昧

• 読み: あいまい
• ローマ字: aimai
• 漢字の分解: 曖 (ai) — dark, dim; 昧 (mai) — dark, obscure
• 発音: /a.i.ma.i/

意味

Vague; ambiguous; unclear. Describes something lacking precision or definiteness.

A na-adjective often used to describe unclear answers, attitudes, or boundaries. Common patterns include 曖昧な返事 (a vague reply), 曖昧な態度 (an ambiguous attitude). In Japanese culture, deliberate ambiguity is sometimes valued as a social strategy to avoid direct confrontation.

例文

1. 彼はいつも曖昧な返事しかしない。
2. 契約の内容が曖昧で不安だ。
3. 曖昧な表現は誤解を生むことがある。

使い方ガイド

場面: conversation, business, writing

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

Both kanji 曖 (ai, dark/dim) and 昧 (mai, dark/obscure) share the meaning of darkness or lack of clarity. Together they emphasise a state of being unclear or indistinct.

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal