是非（ぜひ、zehi）
- by all means

The Japanese word 是非, read as ぜひ, carries multiple layers of meaning, often revolving around the idea of "by all means," "definitely," "without fail," "please," "whether or not," or "good and bad," depending on context. It expresses a strong desire, recommendation, or the importance of something. It can also imply a critical judgment or the assessment of right and wrong. 是非 emphasizes the necessity or desirability of an action or state. The nuanced meaning of 是非 shifts depending on the surrounding words and the overall context of the sentence.

⚫︎ぜひ、お越しください。 Translation: Please come by all means. ⚫︎是非、頑張ってください。 Translation: Please do your best! / Definitely give it your best shot. ⚫︎それは是非やりたいです。 Translation: I definitely want to do that.

⚫︎When used to express encouragement, request, or recommendation, 是非 precedes the verb or action. ⚫︎It can be used to express a strong desire or intention. ⚫︎It is often used when offering or inviting someone to do something. ⚫︎It can be used in the context of judging between what is good and what is bad, or to show a preference for one thing over another. ⚫︎When it is used to express a question, 是非 is used to ask about the merits or demerits of something. ⚫︎是非 is suitable for both formal and informal situations, though the specific tone can be adjusted based on the rest of the sentence.

⚫︎The word is typically written in kanji as 是非. ⚫︎The reading is ぜひ, using hiragana. ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana. ⚫︎Rarely, ぜひ is written in katakana as ゼヒ for emphasis, similar to other loanwords. However, this is not a common usage.

⚫︎必ず (kanarazu): Without fail, certainly, surely. ⚫︎きっと (kitto): Surely, certainly, probably. ⚫︎どうしても (doushitemo): By all means, no matter what. ⚫︎ぜひとも (zeitomo): By all means, definitely (a slightly more formal version of 是非). ⚫︎当然 (touzen): Naturally, of course.

⚫︎There is no single direct antonym. The meaning is very context-dependent. Depending on the context, words like 絶対に～ない (zettai ni ~ nai - absolutely not) or expressions indicating negation could be considered opposites.

この映画は是非観てほしいです。 ・Translation: I really want you to watch this movie. ・Explanation: 是非 is used here to strongly recommend watching the movie.

[是非][是非]、あなたも参加しませんか？ ・Translation: Please, why don't you participate as well? ・Explanation: The speaker is inviting the listener to join, using 是非 to make the invitation more appealing.

The kanji 是 means "right," "correct," "this," or "justice," and 非 means "wrong," "not," "injustice," or "fault." Therefore, 是非 literally combines the concepts of "right and wrong," implying the assessment of good and bad, or the importance of making the correct choice. The combination evolved to also mean "by all means" or "without fail," emphasizing the right thing to do.