The Meaning of seibi [整備] In Japanese

整備
せいび
Romaji: seibi N3

What does 整備 mean?

Translation and Meaning

maintenance, servicing, upkeep, repair, preparation

Definition

整備 means maintenance and servicing to keep equipment, vehicles, or systems in proper working order. It covers routine inspections, adjustments, repairs, and readiness activities across assets.

Type

noun, suru-verb (名詞・サ変動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Routine maintenance and servicing of equipment, vehicles, or facilities to prevent failures.
  • Repair work or overhauls when components degrade or fail, including replacement of parts and adjustments.
  • Preparatory or readiness work, such as organizing infrastructure, plans, or IT environments to be usable.
  • Used in phrases like 整備済み to describe a serviced or refurbished condition of goods.

Etymology

整 means to put in order, adjust, or regulate, while 備 means to prepare, equip, or provide. The compound combines these ideas, and its pronunciation seibi comes from the on’yomi readings sei + bi.

Origin

In the Meiji period and subsequent modernization, the term 整備 became common in industrial and technical contexts to describe planned maintenance of machinery, vehicles, and infrastructure, expanding from simple repairs to systematic upkeep and readiness.

Composition

  • 整 — to put in order, arrange, regulate
  • 備 — to prepare, provide, equip
  • The combination conveys making something ready and orderly to ensure proper function

Usage

Used in technical, automotive, infrastructure, and IT contexts. In formal writing it refers to scheduled maintenance and upkeep; in everyday language 整備する describes performing maintenance or preparation. Common collocations include 車両の点検と整備を行う, 設備の定期整備, 路面の整備計画, ITシステムの保守・整備.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a workshop where a technician lines up tools (整) and stocks spare parts (備). This mental image helps recall that 整備 means organizing and provisioning to keep things running.

Variations

  • 保守 hoshu — maintenance, preservation
  • 修繕 shuzen — repair
  • 点検 tenken — inspection
  • 整備済み seibi-zumi — serviced or refurbished

Example Phrases

  • 今日は 初めての 自転車 整備 体験 に 参加した。
    Kyou wa hajimete no jitensha seibi taiken ni sanka shita.
    Today I participated in my first bicycle maintenance experience.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – today
    • 初めての (hajimete no) – first-time
    • 自転車 (jitensha) – bicycle
    • 整備 (seibi) – maintenance
    • 体験 (taiken) – experience
    • に (ni) – to
    • 参加した (sanka shita) – participated
    初 refers to ‘first’ and appears in 「初めての」 meaning ‘for the first time’.
  • 学校の機材を整備してから授業を始める。
    Gakkō no kizai o seibi shite kara kyō jugyō o hajimeru.
    We start class today after maintaining the school’s equipment.
    Lista:
    • 学校の機材を (gakkō no kizai o) – the school’s equipment
    • 整備してから (seibi shite kara) – after performing maintenance
    • 今日 (kyō) – today
    • 授業を (jugyō o) – class
    • 始める (hajimeru) – start
    Core grammar: 「整備してから」 expresses ‘after doing maintenance’.
整備