Grammar Info
N2 Lesson 5: 9/18

切(き)っ掛(か)け
lead to, because of, as a start/trigger of, an opportunity

Structure
Verb + (1) + きっかけ + に(2)
Noun + きっかけ + に(2)

Verb + (1) + きっかけ + で(3)
Noun + 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、である
Details
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使用域 一般
Information
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 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.
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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."
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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.
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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)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.
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