助長する

• Reading: じょちょうする
• Romaji: jochousuru
• Kanji breakdown: 助 (jo) — help, assist; 長 (chou) — long, grow, leader
• Pronunciation: /dʑo.tɕoː.sɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To encourage; to promote; to foster — often with a negative connotation of making something worse.

A する verb that originally meant simply to help something grow, but in modern usage it predominantly carries a negative nuance — fostering or aggravating an undesirable situation. Similar to 'fuel' or 'exacerbate' in English. Commonly seen in news and formal writing about social problems.

Examples

1. その政策は格差を助長するだけだと批判された。 The policy was criticized for only fueling inequality.
2. SNSの匿名性がいじめを助長している。 The anonymity of social media is making bullying worse.
3. 過度な競争が不正行為を助長しかねない。 Excessive competition could end up encouraging misconduct.

Usage Guide

Context: news, social commentary, academic writing

Tone: critical

Origin & History

From a Chinese parable about a farmer who pulled his rice seedlings upward to help them grow faster, only to kill them. 助 (jo, help) + 長 (chou, grow). The original story warns against harmful 'help.'

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated