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

  • どうにか今朝の電車に乗れて約束に間に合った。
    dou ni ka kesa no densha ni norete yakusoku ni maniatta
    I somehow managed to catch this morning’s train and make it to the appointment on time.
    Lista:
    • どうにか (dou ni ka) – somehow
    • 今朝の (kesa no) – this morning’s
    • 電車に乗れて (densha ni norete) – able to ride the train
    • 約束に (yakusoku ni) – to the appointment
    • 間に合った (maniatta) – made it on time
    Nuance central: 「どうにか」 significa ‘somehow’, indicando que você conseguiu fazer algo apesar das dificuldades.
  • 彼は誠実で、約束をきちんと守る人だ。
    Kare wa seijitsu de, yakusoku o kichinto mamoru hito da.
    He is a sincere person who keeps his promises properly.
    Lista:
    • 彼は (kare wa) – he
    • 誠実で (seijitsu de) – sincere
    • 約束を (yakusoku o) – promises
    • きちんと (kichinto) – properly
    • 守る (mamoru) – keep
    • 人だ (hito da) – is a person
    In this sentence, 「誠実」 functions as a na-adjective meaning ‘sincere’; using 「誠実で」 links to the predicate, describing the subject as ‘being sincere’.
  • 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’.
  • 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.
約束