Japanese word

騒動

Pronunciation

Romajisōdō

Meaning

  • nouncommotion

Example

学校で大きな騒動が起きました。gak kō de ō ki na sō dō ga o ki ma shi ta

A big commotion broke out at school.

Illustration for 騒動 (commotion)

More examples

その発言は会議中に新たな騒動を招きました。so no hatsu gen wa kai gi chū ni ara ta na sō dō o mane ki ma shi ta

That remark caused a new commotion during the meeting.

Core concept

Describes a situation in which disorder spreads among people and disrupts the normal flow of events.

Common phrases

  • 騒動を起こすsō dō o o ko su

    cause a commotion

  • 騒動が起きるsō dō ga o ki ru

    a commotion breaks out

  • 騒動を収めるsō dō o osa me ru

    quell a commotion

  • 騒動の原因sō dō no gen in

    cause of the commotion

Similar words

騒ぎsawagi: A disorderly event that causes noise and attracts attention.
騒乱sōran: A large-scale breakdown of public order.
混乱konran: A lack of order that makes people or events difficult to control.
紛糾funkyū: A dispute that becomes tangled and hard to resolve.

Definition in Japanese

多くの人を巻き込み、周囲の平穏を乱す大きな混乱やもめごと。ō ku no hito o ma ki ko mi shū i no hei on o mida su ō ki na kon ran ya mo me go to

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 騒動 (sōdō) combines 騒 (sō, "noise") and 動 (dō, "movement"), giving the sense of disturbance in motion.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese news, 騒動 (sōdō) often describes a public dispute or incident, so it usually suggests more than a brief burst of noise.

Other meanings

  • disturbancenoun
  • uproarnoun

Word lists with this word