訳

• Reading: わけ
• Romaji: wake
• Kanji breakdown: 訳 (yaku/wake) — reason, translate, meaning
• Pronunciation: /wa.ke/

Meaning

Reason; explanation; meaning. The underlying cause or logic behind something.

A highly versatile word used in many grammar patterns. わけがない means 'there is no way that...' わけにはいかない means 'cannot possibly do...' and わけではない means 'it is not the case that...' On its own, it means 'reason' or 'explanation,' as in 訳を聞く (to ask for an explanation). Usually written in hiragana in grammar patterns.

Examples

1. どういうわけか、今日はお客さんが少ない。 For some reason, there are few customers today.
2. 忙しいからといって、休まないわけにはいかない。 Just because I'm busy doesn't mean I can skip taking a break.
3. 怒っているわけではありません。 It's not that I'm angry.

Usage Guide

Context: explanations, reasoning, grammar patterns

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 訳 combines 言 (words/speech) and 尺 (a measure), suggesting the act of measuring or explaining the meaning of words.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal