草案（そうあん、souan）
- draft

The Japanese word 草案 (そうあん, *souan*) refers to a draft, a preliminary plan, or a proposal. It’s a work in progress, not the final version. It's the initial stage of something like a document, a project, or a law. Think of it as a rough outline or a first attempt. The 草案 is subject to revisions and amendments before it becomes the finished product. The core concept revolves around the idea of something being in its initial, incomplete stage.

⚫︎ 新しい法律の草案 Translation: Draft of a new law ⚫︎ 企画書の草案を作成する Translation: To create a draft of a proposal ⚫︎ 論文の草案を先生に見せる Translation: To show the professor the draft of a paper

You use 草案 when talking about preliminary versions of things. ⚫︎ It’s suitable for situations involving documents, plans, and ideas that haven’t been finalized yet. ⚫︎ You can use it in business meetings, academic settings, and any context where initial versions are discussed. ⚫︎ Often used with verbs like 作成する (to create), 検討する (to consider), and 見直す (to review).

⚫︎ 草案 is written using the kanji 草 (くさ, *kusa*, grass/rough) and 案 (あん, *an*, plan/idea/draft). ⚫︎ The reading is そうあん in hiragana. ⚫︎ There are no common variations in the writing or okurigana.

⚫︎ 原案 (げんあん, *genan*) – original plan/draft ⚫︎ 案 (あん, *an*) – plan/idea/draft (can be a shorter version) ⚫︎ 素案 (そあん, *soan*) – draft, proposal (similar to 草案) ⚫︎ 下書き (したがき, *shitagaki*) – draft/rough copy (more common for documents) ⚫︎ 叩き台 (たたきだい, *tatakidai*) - a starting point for discussion; a rough draft

⚫︎ 完成版 (かんせいはん, *kanseihan*) – completed version ⚫︎ 最終版 (さいしゅうばん, *saishūban*) – final version ⚫︎ 決定版 (けっていばん, *ketteiban*) – definitive version

会議では、新しいプロジェクトの草案について議論しました。 ・Translation: At the meeting, we discussed the draft of the new project. ・Explanation: The sentence clarifies that the discussion was about the initial proposal, not the final plan.

弁護士は、契約書の草案をクライアントに送りました。 ・Translation: The lawyer sent the draft of the contract to the client. ・Explanation: This indicates that the client will review and possibly revise the initial version of the contract.

The word 草案 combines two kanji: 草 (くさ, *kusa*) and 案 (あん, *an*). ⚫︎ 草 originally meant something rough or hastily written, like a draft written on grass or leaves. ⚫︎ 案 means plan, proposal, or draft. ⚫︎ Together, 草案 creates a sense of something being a rough, preliminary version of a plan. The origin shows that the word is used for works that are still in progress.