Grammar Info

N2 Lesson 5: 9/18

切(き)っ掛(か)けLead to, Because of, As a start or trigger of, An opportunity

Structure

Verb + の(1) + をきっかけ + に(2)
Noun + をきっかけ + に(2)

Verb + の(1) + がきっかけ + で(3)
Noun + がきっかけ + で(3)
Verb + きっかけ + をPhrase(4)

(1) こと
(2) にして、として
(3) になって、となって
(4) はなんだ、になる、となる、だ、である

Details

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About きっかけ

きっかけ 'chance', or 切(き)っ掛(か)け in its kanji form is a noun in Japanese that expresses when the trigger of (A) led to (B). It is often translated simply as 'because of (A), (B)', 'with (A) as a trigger, (B)', or 'with the opportunity of (A), (B)'.

きっかけ primarily appears in two different forms. (A) をきっかけに (B), or (A) がきっかけで (B). This grammar pattern may be seen either with verbs in their past-tense form or nouns. However, in the case of appearing after verbs, it will often be preceded by の or some other nominalizing structure like こと.

In many cases, the trigger of (A) will have the effect of instigating a rather large change or new beginning.

Caution - きっかけ will not be used when the causal relationship between (A) and (B) is plainly obvious, due to what would be expected or easy to anticipate result.

  • 木(き)から落(お)ちたのをきっかけに、両腕(りょううで)を骨折(こっせつ)した。
    As a result of falling from a tree, I broke both of my arms.

Because of this, it can be thought that きっかけ is almost always referring to the opportunity of (B) appearing because of (A), with some external choice being made, or action being taken on that occasion.

Examples

--:--

    相手(あいて)チームのエラーを切(き)っ掛(か)けに、逆転(ぎゃくてん)して勝(か)った。

    The opposing team's mistake triggered the turnaround and we won.

    クモに刺(さ)されたのを切(き)っ掛(か)けとして、彼(かれ)はスーパーヒーローになった。

    Being bitten by a spider has led him to become a superhero.

    オランダで自転車(じてんしゃ)が普及(ふきゅう)するようになったのは、オイルショックが切(き)っ掛(か)けである。

    The popularization of bicycles in the Netherlands was triggered by the oil crisis.

    私(わたし)の母(はは)はスモーカーだったけど、電子(でんし)たばこを贈(おく)ってあげたのを切(き)っ掛(か)けに、止(や)めてくれた。

    My mother used to be a smoker, but gifting her an e-cigarette led to her stopping.

    サラエボ事件(じけん)を切(き)っ掛(か)けにして、１９１４(せんきゅうひゃくじゅうよ)年(ねん)から１９１８(せんきゅうひゃくじゅうはち)年(ねん)にかけて、後(のち)に世界(せかい)大戦(たいせん)と呼(よ)ばれるようになった戦争(せんそう)が起(お)きた。

    With the incident in Sarajevo as a trigger, a war that lasted from 1914 to 1918 broke out and was later called a world war.

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きっかけ – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (3 in total)

  • Litharrale

    Litharrale

    Since it can attach to nouns with both が and を, what’s the difference between the two? Some answers only accept one or the other

  • nekoyama

    nekoyama

    I think the legend is wrong; it should show the same difference as it shows for verbs.

    The difference is just grammatical. With を you’re taking something as the きっかけ; with が you’re saying that something is the きっかけ. Like any other noun.

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    @Litharrale
    @nekoyama is right, there was an error in the structure section it should be like this (fixed, thank you for the feedback!):

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