耐久（たいきゅう、taikyuu）
- durability

The Japanese word 耐久 (たいきゅう), translated into English, means "durability," "endurance," "resistance," or "long-lasting." It refers to the ability of something to withstand wear, pressure, damage, or the passage of time. The focus is on how well something can function or remain in good condition under challenging circumstances. 耐久 often implies a capacity to persist or last for a significant period.

⚫︎この製品は耐久性が高いです。 Translation: This product has high durability. ⚫︎耐久レースに参加する。 Translation: To participate in an endurance race. ⚫︎耐久テストを行う。 Translation: To conduct a durability test.

You can use 耐久 in various contexts where you want to describe something's ability to last or withstand stress. ⚫︎ It can describe the properties of a material or product, e.g., "The material has good 耐久." ⚫︎ It can also refer to physical or mental endurance, e.g., "She showed great 耐久 during the marathon." ⚫︎ In business or technical settings, it might describe the lifespan or robustness of a machine, tool, or process, e.g., "The engine's 耐久 is impressive."

耐久 is typically written using the kanji 耐久, with the reading たいきゅう in hiragana. There are no other standard ways to write this word. The okurigana (suffix hiragana) is fixed, and there are no variations.

⚫︎ 頑丈さ (がんじょうさ) - Robustness, sturdiness ⚫︎ 持続性 (じぞくせい) - Sustainability, persistence ⚫︎ 長持ち (ながもち) - Long-lasting ⚫︎ 耐久性 (たいきゅうせい) - Durability (same kanji, similar meaning, often used interchangeably.)

⚫︎ 脆弱性 (ぜいじゃくせい) - Vulnerability, fragility ⚫︎ 壊れやすさ (こわれやすさ) - Fragility, proneness to breaking ⚫︎ 短命 (たんめい) - Short-lived

この車のエンジンは、過酷な条件下でも高い耐久性を発揮します。 ・Translation: This car's engine demonstrates high durability even under harsh conditions. ・Explanation: This sentence highlights the engine's ability to maintain its performance despite difficult circumstances.

その服は耐久性があり、何度も洗濯しても型崩れしません。 ・Translation: That clothing is durable and doesn't lose its shape even after repeated washing. ・Explanation: This sentence emphasizes that the clothes maintain their quality even with regular use and washing.

The word 耐久 is formed by combining the kanji 耐 (tai) meaning "to withstand," "to endure," or "to resist," and 久 (kyuu) meaning "long time," "duration," or "long ago." Therefore, the combination naturally implies "withstanding for a long time," thus meaning durability or endurance.