選挙

• Reading: せんきょ
• Romaji: senkyo
• Kanji breakdown: 選 (sen) — to select, to choose; 挙 (kyo) — to raise, to nominate
• Pronunciation: /seŋ.kʲo/

Meaning

Election; the process of choosing representatives by voting.

A noun and suru-verb used for all types of elections, from local to national. Common collocations include 選挙に出る (to run in an election) and 選挙権 (right to vote). Japan's voting age was lowered from 20 to 18 in 2016.

Examples

1. 来年の選挙に向けて準備が始まった。 Preparations have begun for next year's election.
2. 選挙の結果は明日の朝に発表される。 The election results will be announced tomorrow morning.
3. 友達が初めて選挙に行って投票した。 My friend went to vote in an election for the first time.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, news, civic life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 選 (to select, to choose) and 挙 (to raise, to nominate). Together they mean the act of selecting or electing someone.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal