事故（じこ、jiko）
- accident

The Japanese word 事故, pronounced じこ (jiko), primarily means "accident," "incident," or "disaster." It refers to an unexpected and undesirable event that causes harm, damage, or loss. The scope of 事故 can range from minor events like a small fender-bender to major disasters like a plane crash. 事故 implies a negative outcome and is usually associated with some degree of unintended consequence.

⚫︎交通事故 Translation: Traffic accident ⚫︎火災事故 Translation: Fire accident / Fire incident ⚫︎労働事故 Translation: Workplace accident

You use 事故 to describe unexpected and usually negative events. It’s a common word, and you can use it in various contexts, including: ⚫︎ Reporting an event: “There was a 事故.” ⚫︎ Describing the nature of an event: "It was a serious 事故." ⚫︎ Talking about the cause or consequences of an event: “The 事故 caused...” ⚫︎ Asking about an event: “What kind of 事故 was it?”

事故 is typically written in kanji 事故. The reading じこ is written in hiragana. There are no variations in the okurigana. It is possible to see the word as a part of other words using kanji, such as 事故 in 交通事故 (koutsuu jiko - traffic accident).

⚫︎ 事件 (jiken) - incident, event (can be neutral or negative) ⚫︎ トラブル (toraburu) - trouble, problem (often used for smaller problems) ⚫︎ 災害 (saigai) - disaster (usually a larger scale event)

There is no direct antonym for 事故 because it describes a negative event. However, you could consider words that express the absence of an accident or negative event: ⚫︎ 安全 (anzen) - safety, security ⚫︎ 無事 (buji) - safety, being safe and sound

昨日、駅で電車事故がありました。 ・Translation: There was a train accident at the station yesterday. ・Explanation: This sentence reports that an accident involving a train occurred at the station the previous day.

その事故の原因を調査しています。 ・Translation: We are investigating the cause of that accident. ・Explanation: This sentence indicates that the authorities are investigating why the accident happened.

The word 事故 is a compound word. The kanji 事 (ji) means "matter," "thing," or "affair." The kanji 故 (ko) means "cause," "reason," or "circumstance." When combined, 事故 suggests something that has happened unexpectedly or by chance, implying an event with negative consequences.