急激

• Reading: きゅうげき
• Romaji: kyuugeki
• Kanji breakdown: 急 (kyuu) — sudden, urgent; 激 (geki) — violent, intense
• Pronunciation: /kjɯː.ɡe.ki/

Meaning

Sudden; drastic; sharp. Describes a rapid and intense change.

A na-adjective used to describe changes that happen both quickly and dramatically. Takes な before nouns (急激な変化, a drastic change) and に as an adverb (急激に増える, to increase sharply). Common in news, economics, and weather contexts. Stronger than 急 (kyuu, sudden) alone.

Examples

1. 気温の急激な変化で体調を崩した。 The drastic change in temperature made me feel sick.
2. 人口が急激に減少している地域もある。 There are regions where the population is declining sharply.
3. 急激な円安が経済に影響を与えている。 The sharp depreciation of the yen is affecting the economy.

Usage Guide

Context: news, economics, science

Tone: alarming

Origin & History

Sino-Japanese compound of 急 (kyuu, sudden/urgent) and 激 (geki, violent/intense). 急 depicts a hand reaching for a person, conveying urgency. 激 contains water radicals suggesting a violent torrent.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal