延期（えんき、enki）
- postponement / delay

The Japanese word 延期 means to postpone, delay, or put off something. It refers to shifting an event, deadline, or activity to a later time. The core concept is about rescheduling something that was originally planned for a specific time. It implies a temporary or indefinite shift, not necessarily a cancellation. The word emphasizes the act of making something happen later than initially intended.

⚫︎ 会議は、来週に延期］されました。 Translation: The meeting was postponed until next week. ⚫︎ 雨のため、試合は延期］になりました。 Translation: The game was postponed due to the rain. ⚫︎ プロジェクトの締め切りを延期］したいです。 Translation: I would like to postpone the project deadline.

⚫︎ 延期 is used in various contexts where something needs to be shifted to a later date. This can apply to meetings, events, deadlines, exams, or any activity with a set time or schedule. ⚫︎ When using 延期, it's common to include the reason for the postponement, especially in formal situations. ⚫︎ Be mindful of the context. Using it with a gentle tone often indicates politeness, especially when suggesting a postponement.

⚫︎ The word 延期 is written in kanji as 延期. ⚫︎ The reading in hiragana is えんき. ⚫︎ There are no significant variations in the okurigana for this word. The kanji 延 (en) means "to extend" or "prolong", and 期 (ki) means "period" or "term". When combined, they express the concept of extending a period.

⚫︎ 遅らせる (おくらせる) - to delay, to put off (a more general term) ⚫︎ 先延ばしにする (さきのばしにする) - to put off (until later), to postpone (often used for procrastination) ⚫︎ 見合わせる (みあわせる) - to postpone; to hold back; to suspend (often used for short-term delays) ⚫︎ 保留にする (ほりゅうにする) - to postpone, to hold in abeyance (for decisions)

⚫︎ 実行する (じっこうする) - to carry out, to execute, to implement ⚫︎ 実施する (じっしする) - to implement, to enforce ⚫︎ 開催する (かいさいする) - to hold (an event)

試験が延期］されたので、もう少し勉強する時間が増えました。 ・Translation: Because the exam was postponed, I have more time to study. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates how 延期 affects the plan, and provides a positive side in this case.

悪天候のため、野外イベントは延期］となりました。 ・Translation: The outdoor event has been postponed due to the bad weather. ・Explanation: This sentence gives a clear reason for the postponement, making it informative.

The word 延期 is formed from the kanji 延 (en), which means "to prolong" or "to extend", and 期 (ki), meaning "period," "term," or "time". Therefore, 延期 combines the concepts of extending or prolonging a scheduled period or time, signifying the act of postponing something.