Japanese word

相対

Pronunciation

Romajisōtai

Meaning

  • nounrelative

Example

絶対と相対の違いを考えます。zet tai to sō tai no chiga i o kanga e ma su

I think about the difference between the absolute and the relative.

Illustration for 相対 (relative)

More examples

成績は相対評価されることがあります。sei seki wa sō tai hyō ka sa re ru ko to ga a ri ma su

Grades are sometimes evaluated in relation to one another.

Core concept

Shows that a quality or judgment changes according to the surrounding conditions and the standard used for comparison.

Common phrases

  • 相対評価sō tai hyō ka

    relative evaluation

Definition in Japanese

他の物事との比較によって決まり、単独では定まらない性質や状態。hoka no mono goto to no hi kaku ni yo tte ki ma ri tan doku de wa sada ma ra na i sei shitsu ya jō tai

Word origin

相 (sō, "mutual") and 対 (tai, "facing or opposition") combine in 相対 (sōtai) to express things facing each other as a basis for comparison.

Usage tips

  • The concept of 相対 (sōtai) helps explain why the same event can seem large or small depending on the surrounding scale and circumstances.

Opposites

Related words

  • 相対化sōtaikarelativizationnoun
  • 相対性sōtaiseirelativitynoun
  • 相対的sōtaitekirelativena-adjective

Word lists with this word