Japanese word

改善

Pronunciation

Romajikaizen

Meaning

  • nounimprovement

Example

先生は授業を改善しました。sen sei wa ju gyō o kai zen shi ma shi ta

The teacher improved the class.

Illustration for 改善 (improvement)

More examples

この提案は、仕事の改善に役立ちます。ko no tei an wa shi goto no kai zen ni yaku da chi ma su

This proposal helps improve our work.

Core concept

Describes making a situation, process, or condition better than it was before.

Common phrases

  • 改善が見られるkai zen ga mi ra re ru

    show improvement

  • 改善を求めるkai zen o moto me ru

    seek improvement

  • 改善につながるkai zen ni tsu na ga ru

    lead to improvement

Similar words

改良kairyō: Changes made to a product, device, or method to improve its performance.
改革kaikaku: A significant change to an existing system or organization.
向上kōjō: A rise in quality, skill, strength, or level.

Definition in Japanese

物事の状態や方法を、よりよいものにすること。mono goto no jō tai ya hō hō o yo ri yo i mo no ni su ru ko to

Word origin

改善 (kaizen) combines 改 (kai, "change") and 善 (zen, "goodness"), expressing a change toward a better state.

Usage tips

  • In English business writing, kaizen is a loanword for continuous small improvements, while 改善 (kaizen) also applies broadly to daily situations and methods in Japanese.

Opposites

Related words

  • 改善するkaizensuruimproveverb

Word lists with this word