準決勝

• Reading: じゅんけっしょう
• Romaji: junkesshou
• Kanji breakdown: 準 (jun) — semi-, quasi-; 決 (ketsu) — decide; 勝 (shou) — win, victory
• Pronunciation: /dʑɯɴ.ke.ɕɕoː/

Meaning

Semifinal; the round before the final in a tournament or competition.

A noun used in sports and competition contexts for the penultimate round. Composed of 準 (quasi-/semi-) + 決勝 (final match). The winner advances to the 決勝 (kesshou, final). Common in discussions of tournaments, championships, and bracket-style competitions.

Examples

1. 日本チームが準決勝に進出した。 The Japanese team advanced to the semifinals.
2. 準決勝の相手はブラジルに決まった。 Brazil was decided as the opponent for the semifinal.
3. 明日の準決勝をテレビで観るつもりだ。 I'm planning to watch tomorrow's semifinal on TV.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, competitions, tournaments

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 準 (jun, semi-/quasi-) + 決勝 (kesshou, final match). 決勝 itself comes from 決 (ketsu, decide) + 勝 (shou, win), so 準決勝 literally means 'the semi-decisive match.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal