妨害（ぼうがい、bougai）
- interference

The Japanese word 妨害 (ぼうがい, bougai) means "obstruction," "interference," "hindrance," or "sabotage." It refers to the act of preventing something from happening or succeeding, or disrupting a process or activity. It implies intentionally or unintentionally causing difficulty or problems. It can apply to various situations, from physical actions to more abstract concepts. The level of severity can vary depending on the context.

⚫︎試験を妨害する Translation: To obstruct an exam. ⚫︎工事が交通を妨害している Translation: The construction is obstructing traffic. ⚫︎ライバル会社の事業を妨害する Translation: To sabotage a rival company's business.

妨害 is used in formal and informal situations. ⚫︎ It is appropriate for describing actions that intentionally or unintentionally prevent something from occurring smoothly. ⚫︎ You can use it in news reports, business conversations, legal contexts, or everyday discussions. ⚫︎ The verb form 妨害する (bougai suru) is frequently used. You can also see 妨害行為 (bougai koui) which means "obstructive behavior."

妨害 is primarily written in kanji 妨害. ⚫︎ The reading is ぼうがい (bougai). ⚫︎ The verb form is 妨害する (bougai suru). The okurigana is typically する. ⚫︎ The noun form is 妨害 (bougai).

⚫︎ 邪魔 (jama): Interference, obstruction, hindrance. ⚫︎ 邪魔する (jama suru): To interfere, to get in the way. ⚫︎ 阻止 (soshi): Prevention, obstruction. ⚫︎ 妨げる (samatageru): To hinder, to obstruct. ⚫︎ 干渉 (kanshou): Interference.

⚫︎ 支援 (shien): Support, assistance. ⚫︎ 援助 (enjo): Aid, assistance. ⚫︎ 助ける (tasukeru): To help. ⚫︎ 促進 (sokusoku): Promotion, facilitation.

彼は試合を妨害しようとしたとして逮捕された。 ・Translation: He was arrested for trying to disrupt the game. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 妨害 to describe an attempt to prevent the game from proceeding normally.

政府の政策は経済成長を妨害していると批判された。 ・Translation: The government's policies were criticized for hindering economic growth. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 妨害 in a more abstract sense, referring to policies that impede progress.

The word 妨害 is a compound word: ⚫︎ 妨 (bou) means "to obstruct" or "to hinder." ⚫︎ 害 (gai) means "harm," "damage," or "obstacle." Therefore, 妨害 literally means "to cause harm by obstructing."