観客（かんきゃく、kankyaku）
- audience

The Japanese word 観客, pronounced かんきゃく (kankyaku), means "audience," "spectators," or "viewers." It refers to the people who are present to watch a performance, event, game, or any other kind of public entertainment. It's the group of people who are observing something that is being presented or performed. The word emphasizes the act of watching and enjoying the show. It's a general term and can apply to a wide range of situations.

⚫︎コンサートの観客 Translation: Concert audience ⚫︎野球の試合の観客 Translation: Baseball game spectators ⚫︎テレビの観客 Translation: Television viewers

⚫︎You can use 観客 in many different contexts. ⚫︎It's suitable for formal and informal situations. ⚫︎Use it when talking about the people who are watching an event. ⚫︎For example, you might say 観客 were enthusiastic, or the performance thrilled the 観客.

⚫︎The word is primarily written in kanji as 観客. ⚫︎The reading is かんきゃく using hiragana. ⚫︎There is no variation in the okurigana for this word.

⚫︎聴衆 (ちょうしゅう - chōshū): Audience (often used for concerts or speeches) ⚫︎見物人 (けんぶつにん - kenbutsunin): Spectators/Onlookers (often in a sightseeing context) ⚫︎ファン (fan): Fans (for specific performers or teams - borrowed word) ⚫︎観衆 (かんしゅう - kanshū): Audience (similar to 観客)

⚫︎There isn't a direct antonym. However, words related to those performing or presenting are opposites in context. ⚫︎Examples include: 出演者 (しゅつえんしゃ - shūtsensha - performers), 選手 (せんしゅ - senshu - players).

その映画はたくさんの観客に感動を与えた。 ・Translation: That movie moved many viewers. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 観客 to refer to the people who watched the movie and were emotionally affected by it.

スタジアムには大勢の観客が集まっていた。 ・Translation: A large number of spectators gathered at the stadium. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the large number of people who came to watch an event at the stadium. The word 観客 clearly indicates their role as observers.

⚫︎The word 観客 is a compound word. ⚫︎観 (kan) means "to watch," "to view," or "to observe." ⚫︎客 (kyaku) means "guest," "visitor," or "customer," but in this case, it means "spectator" or "audience member." ⚫︎Therefore, 観客 literally means "watching guests" or "viewing guests," referring to those who are present to witness an event.