The Meaning of kimari [決まり] In Japanese

決まり
きまり
Romaji: kimari N5

What does 決まり mean?

Translation and Meaning

decision, rule, arrangement, settled matter

Definition

What does 決まり mean? It denotes a settled decision, rule, or arrangement that governs future actions and is expected to be followed; it captures the sense of something agreed upon and fixed within a group or system.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • State of being decided or fixed; a rule or regulation in effect
  • An established practice or custom, often summarized as 決まりごと or 決まり事
  • A formal or informal decision that determines subsequent behavior or arrangements

Etymology

From 決まる (to be decided) + -まり; phonetic evolution yields kimari as a natural noun form.

Composition

  • 決: to decide, determine; provides the core sense of making a choice
  • まり: nominalizing suffix turning a verb into a noun indicating a state or condition

Usage

Used as a noun to refer to a settled decision, rule, or arrangement. It is more formal in writing and common in speech when talking about policies, schedules, or social norms. Common collocations include 決まりごと and 決まり事, and it appears with verbs like 決まる and 決める to express the act or state of deciding.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a calendar stamp with 決 that, once pressed, makes the date a fixed kimari; think of the moment of decision becoming the ‘kimari’ state.

Variations

  • 決定 (kettei) – formal decision
  • 規定 (kitei) – regulation
  • ルール (ru-ru) – rule, casual loanword
  • 慣習 (kanshū) – custom

Example Phrases

  • 今日は 約束は もう 決まり だ。
    Kyou wa yakusoku wa mou kimari da.
    Today, the promise is already decided.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (kyou wa) – today
    • 約束は (yakusoku wa) – the promise
    • もう (mou) – already
    • 決まり (kimari) – decision
    • だ (da) – is
    In this context, 「決まり」 is the noun form of 決まる, meaning a decision or settled matter; with だ it states that something is decided.
  • 会議で 発言を 忘れてしまい、 みんなの前で 決まり悪い。
    Kaigi de hatsugen o wasurete shimai, minna no mae de kimariwarui.
    I forgot my speech at the meeting and felt awkward in front of everyone.
    Lista:
    • 会議で (kaigi de) – at a meeting
    • 発言を (hatsugen o) – a remark
    • 忘れてしまい (wasurete shimai) – forgot and
    • みんなの前で (minna no mae de) – in front of everyone
    • 決まり悪い (kimariwarui) – awkward
    「決まり悪い」は、社交の場で恥ずかしく感じる状態を表す形容詞。
決まり