The Meaning of kekkō [結構] In Japanese

結構
けっこう
Romaji: kekkō N5

What does 結構 mean?

Translation and Meaning

tie, structure; quite, fine, enough, splendid

Definition

結構 means ‘That’s fine’ or ‘That’s enough’ and can also mean ‘quite’ or ‘fairly’ depending on context; it functions as a sentence-ending response or as an adverb modifying adjectives.

Type

adverb; na-adjective (形容動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • polite decline or approval meaning ‘That’s fine’ or ‘No, thank you’ in phrases like 結構です
  • degree modifier meaning ‘quite; fairly; considerably’ before adjectives (けっこう高い, けっこう難しい)
  • positive assessment meaning ‘splendid; excellent’ in 結構な + noun or in phrases like 結構だ

Etymology

結 to tie, bind; 構 structure, arrangement; the けっこう reading arises as a native kun’yomi compound, and the sense shifts from physical coherence to adequacy or acceptability in modern usage.

Composition

  • 結: to tie, connect; imply bringing things together
  • 構: structure, arrangement; imply form or organization
  • Together they convey a sense of a well-formed state, which in usage evolves into meanings like adequacy or appropriateness

Usage

Used across formal and casual speech. In everyday conversation it often means ‘That’s fine’ or ‘I’ll pass’ when declining offers, while as an adverb it intensifies adjectives to mean ‘quite’ or ‘fairly’; as 結構な it can express positive appraisal about a thing or situation.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine tying a neat knot (結) to solidify a plan (構) and you declare it ready with 結構, signaling that the result is well-formed and acceptable.

Variations

  • かなり (kanari) — quite
  • 相当 (soutō) — fairly, considerably
  • 十分 (jūbun) — enough

Example Phrases

  • 今夜の映画は 結構 おもしろそう だ ね
    Kon’ya no eiga wa kekkou omoshirosou da ne
    Tonight’s movie looks quite interesting.
    Lista:
    • 今夜の映画は (Kon’ya no eiga wa) – tonight’s movie is
    • 結構 (kekkou) – quite
    • おもしろそう (omoshirosou) – looks interesting
    • だ (da) – is
    • ね (ne) – right
    In this sentence, 「結構」 acts as an adverb meaning ‘quite’ before おもしろそう to express degree.
結構