The Meaning of yakusoku [約束] In Japanese

約束
やくそく
Romaji: yakusoku N4

What does 約束 mean?

Translation and Meaning

promise, appointment, agreement

Definition

約束 (yakusoku) means a mutual pledge or agreed arrangement between people or parties; it denotes a commitment to perform (or refrain from) an action or to meet at a specified time and carries an expectation of being honored.

Type

noun; verbal noun (suru-verb) (名詞, サ変動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • As an appointment: a specifically arranged meeting time agreed by participants.
  • As a contractual term: a clause or obligation within formal agreements or promises with legal or business weight.
  • As a personal vow: a solemn or emotional pledge one makes to another.
  • As a casual assurance: informal or playful guarantees between friends that are socially binding but not legally enforceable.
  • As a social expectation: an understood obligation that affects trust and reputation when kept or broken.

Origin

The compound entered Japanese from Sino-Japanese vocabulary and appears in historical records and classical writings; over centuries it became common in both literary and everyday language and was used in formal contracts, social agreements and personal correspondence as Japanese legal and commercial practices developed.

Composition

  • 約 (yaku): notions of binding, agreement and approximation; suggests a restriction or agreed term.
  • 束 (soku): bundle, tie or bind; implies bringing things together or fastening.
  • Together the characters evoke the idea of fastening or binding an agreement—hence a committed arrangement or pledge.

Usage

Used across everyday, social and business contexts, from casual promises among friends to formal commitments in contracts; functions as a noun and commonly pairs with the verb suru to form a verb phrase, appears in polite speech in business settings and in informal speech among acquaintances, and is central when arranging meetings, making vows, or setting expectations.
💡 Tips
Think of making a promise as “binding words”—visualize tying words into a bundle to remember that 約束 (yakusoku) is a binding agreement or arranged meeting.

Variations

  • 承諾 (shōdaku) — consent, acceptance
  • 合意 (gōi) — mutual agreement
  • 誓約 (seiyaku) — oath, sworn promise
  • 取り決め (torikime) — arrangement, stipulation
  • 裏切り (uragiri) — betrayal (antonym: breaking the trust of a promise)

Example Phrases

  • 今日は 絶対に 約束を 守る つもりだ。
    Kyou wa zettai ni yakusoku o mamoru tsumori da.
    Today I absolutely intend to keep my promise.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (kyou wa) – today
    • 絶対に (zettai ni) – absolutely
    • 約束を (yakusoku o) – promise (object marker)
    • 守る (mamoru) – to keep
    • つもりだ (tsumori da) – intends to
    Core grammar: 「絶対」 is an adverb meaning ‘absolutely’, here used as 絶対に to strongly modify the verb phrase showing firm intention.
  • 約束の場所を過ぎたので、私は引き返すことにした。
    Yakusoku no basho o sugita node, watashi wa hikikaesu koto ni shita.
    Since I passed the meeting place, I decided to turn back.
    Lista:
    • 約束の場所を過ぎたので (yakusoku no basho o sugita node) – since I passed the meeting place
    • 私は (watashi wa) – I
    • 引き返す (hikikaesu) – to turn back
    • ことにした (koto ni shita) – decided to
    Here the verb 「引き返す」 is used in dictionary form to express turning back, paired with ことにした to indicate a decision.
  • 今日は通行が混雑しているので、約束に遅れそうだ。
    Kyou wa tsuukou ga konzatsu shite iru node, yakusoku ni okuresou da.
    Today the traffic is congested, so I might be late for the appointment.
    Lista:
    • 今日 (kyou) – today
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 通行 (tsuukou) – traffic
    • が (ga) – subject marker
    • 混雑している (konzatsu shite iru) – is congested
    • ので (node) – because
    • 約束 (yakusoku) – appointment
    • に (ni) – to
    • 遅れそうだ (okuresou da) – looks like I’ll be late
    In this sentence, 「通行」 means traffic/passage and acts as the subject with が in 「通行が混雑している」; the phrase 「混雑している」 expresses ongoing congestion.
  • 友達に本を貸す約束を守る。
    Tomodachi ni hon o kasu yakusoku o mamoru.
    I’ll keep my promise to lend a book to a friend.
    Lista:
    • 友達に (tomodachi ni) – to a friend
    • 本を (hon o) – a book
    • 貸す (kasu) – to lend
    • 約束を (yakusoku o) – a promise
    • 守る (mamoru) – to keep
    Core grammar: 「貸す」 means ‘to lend’; use に to mark the recipient as in 「友達に」; 「約束を守る」 means ‘to keep a promise’.
  • 君は 週末の 約束、 しっかり 守れる かな。
    Kimi wa shuumatsu no yakusoku, shikkari mamoreru kana.
    I wonder if you can keep your weekend promise.
    Lista:
    • 君は (kimi wa) – you (topic marker)
    • 週末の (shuumatsu no) – of the weekend
    • 約束、 (yakusoku,) – promise
    • しっかり (shikkari) – firmly
    • 守れる (mamoreru) – can keep
    • かな (kana) – I wonder
    Neste contexto, 「君は」 funciona como o tópico da frase, usando a partícula は.
約束