Japanese word

かけっこ

Pronunciation

Romajikakekko

Meaning

  • nounrace

Example

運動会でかけっこをしました。un dō kai de ka ke kko o shi ma shi ta

I ran a race at the sports festival.

Illustration for かけっこ (race)

More examples

来週のかけっこに向けて、毎朝走っています。rai shū no ka ke kko ni mu ke te mai asa hashi tte i ma su

I run every morning to prepare for next week's race.

Core concept

It centers on people running against one another to compare speed in a simple footrace.

Common phrases

  • かけっこをするka ke kko o su ru

    have a race

  • かけっこに出るka ke kko ni de ru

    enter a race

  • かけっこで勝つka ke kko de ka tsu

    win a race

  • かけっこの練習ka ke kko no ren shū

    practice for a race

Similar words

徒競走tokyōsō: A race on foot in which participants run along a defined course.
競走kyōsō: A competition in which people run to compare their speed.

Definition in Japanese

走って速さを競うこと。子供の遊びや運動会などで行う短い競走。hashi tte haya sa o kiso u ko to ko domo no aso bi ya un dō kai na do de okona u mijika i kyō sō

Word origin

かけっこ (kakekko) combines 駆ける (kakeru, "to run") with っこ (kko, "a contest"), giving the running activity a casual name.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese school events, かけっこ (kakekko) commonly names a short running event, so it is more specific than the broad English word race.

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