The Meaning of tsugou [都合] In Japanese

都合
つごう
Romaji: tsugou N4

What does 都合 mean?

Translation and Meaning

convenience, circumstances, suitability

Definition

都合 means the circumstances, availability, or condition that allows or prevents taking a particular action; it is commonly used to talk about whether a plan fits with someone’s schedule or constraints.

Type

noun (kun’yomi)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Availability and feasibility of acting given a person’s timetable or constraints.
  • Feasibility of arranging a plan, indicating whether a proposed time or arrangement works for involved parties.
  • Practicality or suitability of an arrangement, focusing on what fits rather than personal feelings.

Etymology

都 and 合 are typically read with kun’yomi in this compound, yielding tsugou; the term is a native Japanese formation with no direct lexical borrowing, and its spelling reflects a semantic shift from ‘city/capital’ and ‘to fit’ toward ‘circumstances that enable or constrain action’.

Composition

  • 都 — city, capital; here conveys broad scope or overall conditions
  • 合 — to fit, to join, to agree; here indicates alignment with circumstances

Usage

Used in both formal and casual speech to discuss whether an action can be taken given time, resources, or constraints; commonly appears in planning, scheduling, and explanations of personal constraints, with grammatical particles to mark subject, cause, or condition.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a city calendar where all dates line up; when they align, that arrangement is 都合.

Variations

  • 同義語: 事情 (jijou) — jijou
  • 反義語: 不都合 (futsugou) — futsugou
  • 関連語: 予定 (yotei) — yotei

Example Phrases

  • 今日は都合がつくので、会いましょう。
    Kyou wa tsugou ga tsuku node, aimashou.
    I’m free today, so let’s meet.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – today
    • 都合が (tsugou ga) – circumstances
    • つく (tsuku) – to be possible
    • ので (node) – because
    • 会いましょう (aimashou) – let’s meet
    Here, 「都合がつく」 means ‘to be available / have time’; it expresses that today you have the time to meet.
都合