深刻

Reading: しんこく  |  Meaning: serious, grave, severe

Term

  • 深刻しんこく
  • shinkoku

Meaning

  • serious
  • grave
  • severe

Part of Speech

  • 形容動詞 (Na-adjective)

Kanji Breakdown

  • 深しん – deep; profound
  • 刻こく – engrave; carve; time

Usage Notes

  • Used for situations with heavy or severe consequences.
  • Often paired with 問題 (problem), 影響 (impact), or 状況 (situation).
  • Carries a formal or impactful nuance compared to synonyms like 重大.

Example Sentences

  1. (Informal)
    それ、結構深刻じゃない？
    Sore, kekkou shinkoku janai?
    (Isn’t that pretty serious?)

  2. (Formal / Business)
    この問題は会社全体にとって深刻な影響を与える可能性があります。
    Kono mondai wa kaisha zentai ni totte shinkoku na eikyou o ataeru kanousei ga arimasu.
    (This issue could have a serious impact on the entire company.)

  3. (Academic / Exam Style)
    環境汚染は社会に深刻な影響を及ぼしている。
    Kankyou osen wa shakai ni shinkoku na eikyou o oyobosite iru.
    (Environmental pollution is having a grave impact on society.)

  4. (Natural / Spoken)
    そんなに深刻に考えなくていいよ。
    Sonna ni shinkoku ni kangaenakute ii yo.
    (You don’t have to think about it so seriously.)

  5. (Anime / Manga)
    「これは…想像以上に深刻な事態だ。」
    “Kore wa… souzou ijou ni shinkoku na jitai da.”
    (“This is… a more serious situation than I imagined.”)

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