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

  • Register

    Standard

  • 使用域

    一般

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.
  • 彼女(かのじょ)とは、パーティーで会(あ)ったのをきっかけに付(つ)き合(あ)い始(はじ)めた。
    Meeting her at the party led us to start dating.
  • 私(わたし)は入院(にゅういん)をきっかけにタバコを止(や)めることにしました。
    Getting hospitalized led me to stop smoking.
  • この音楽(おんがく)は有名(ゆうめい)な歌手(かしゅ)がカバーしたのがきっかけで再(ふたた)び有名(ゆうめい)になった。
    This song became famous again because that famous singer made a cover of it.
  • このゲームがきっかけで、プログラマーになる事(こと)ができた。
    This game led me to become a programmer.
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 casual 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

  • 父(ちち)は思(おも)い出(で)を語(かた)っている：「小学校(しょうがっこう)の時(とき)の引(ひ)っ越(こ)しがきっかけで、母(かあ)さんに出(で)会(あ)えた。」

    Father reminiscing: 'Moving during primary school days led to me meeting your mother.'

  • サラエボ事件(じけん)をきっかけにして、１９１４年(ねん)から１９１８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.

  • 小学校(しょうがっこう)の頃(ころ)、フリーオペレーティングシステムがあると聞(き)いた。それをきっかけにしてLINUXとITに興味(きょうみ)を持(も)つようになった。

    When I was in elementary school, I heard that there was a free (from freedom) operating system. Because of that, I have developed an interest in Linux and IT.

  • 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)ってあげたのをきっかけに、止(や)めてくれた。

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

  • A：「我(わ)が社(しゃ)で働(はたら)くことを希望(きぼう)されたきっかけは何(なん)ですか？」B：「新聞(しんぶん)広告(こうこく)を見(み)て希望(きぼう)しました。」

    A: 'What led you to apply to work for our company?' B: 'I decided when I saw an advertisement in the newspaper.'

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きっかけ – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (3 in total)

  • Litharrale

    Litharrale

    About 3 years ago

    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

    About 3 years ago

    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

    About 3 years ago

    @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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