照らし合わせる

• Reading: てらしあわせる
• Romaji: terashiawaseru
• Kanji breakdown: 照 (teru/shō) — shine, illuminate; 合 (awa/gō) — match, combine
• Pronunciation: /te.ɾa.ɕi.a.wa.se.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To compare; to cross-reference; to check one thing against another. Used when verifying accuracy by examining two sources side by side.

A Group 2 (ichidan) compound verb from 照らす (to illuminate, to shine light on) + 合わせる (to align, to match). The image is of shining a light on two items simultaneously to see if they match. It is frequently used in legal, academic, and journalistic contexts where documents, data, or accounts must be verified against a standard or each other.

Examples

1. 契約書の内容を原文と照らし合わせて、誤訳がないか確認した。 I cross-referenced the contract against the original text to check for any mistranslations.
2. 目撃者の証言を防犯カメラの映像と照らし合わせると、時刻に矛盾が生じた。 When the witness's testimony was compared against the security camera footage, a discrepancy in the times emerged.
3. 申請書類を法令と照らし合わせて、要件を満たしているか精査する必要がある。 It is necessary to carefully examine the application documents against the relevant laws and regulations to verify that the requirements are met.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, academic, journalism, data verification

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 照らす (terasu — to illuminate, from 照 'shine') + 合わせる (awaseru — to align, match). The metaphor of illuminating two objects together to compare them dates to classical Japanese.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults (professional)

Social background: Professional