Japanese word

体裁

Pronunciation

Romajiteisai

Meaning

  • nounappearance

Example

彼は人前での体裁を気にしています。kare wa hito mae de no tei sai o ki ni shi te i ma su

He cares about his appearance in front of others.

Illustration for 体裁 (appearance)

More examples

取引先の前で体裁を保つため、服装を整えました。torihiki saki no mae de tei sai o tamo tsu ta me fuku sō o totono e ma shi ta

I made sure my outfit was presentable to maintain appearances in front of a business partner.

Core concept

The term concerns how a person, thing, or work is arranged and presented so that it appears proper and acceptable to others.

Common phrases

  • 体裁を整えるtei sai o totono e ru

    make a respectable appearance

  • 体裁を保つtei sai o tamo tsu

    maintain appearances

  • 体裁を繕うtei sai o tsukuro u

    keep up appearances

  • 体裁を気にするtei sai o ki ni su ru

    care about appearances

Similar words

体面taimen: The dignity and respectable appearance maintained in front of other people.
外見gaiken: The outward look of a person or thing, without reference to its inner qualities.
形式keishiki: The established structure or visible format used for a document, event, or activity.
格好kakkō: The shape, appearance, or style of a person or thing as seen by others.

Definition in Japanese

外から見た姿や形式、また人前での礼儀や見栄え。soto ka ra mi ta sugata ya kei shiki ma ta hito mae de no rei gi ya mi ba e

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 体裁 (teisai) combines 体 (tai, "body") and 裁 (sai, "cut and arrange"), giving it the sense of an arranged outward form.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese writing, 体裁 (teisai) can describe a document's visible format, showing that the word covers presentation in both social settings and written form.

Other meanings

  • formnoun
  • decencynoun

Related words

  • 体裁ぶるteisaiburuact respectableverb

Word lists with this word