Translation guide
A situation where something bad almost happened but was narrowly avoided. In Japanese, this is expressed with various nouns, phrases, and onomatopoeia that emphasize the narrowness of the escape.
Describing a situation where a disaster, accident, or negative outcome was barely avoided.
A common four-character compound meaning 'a close call' or 'a hair's breadth from danger'. Used for dramatic escapes.
あの事故は本当に危機一髪だった。
That accident was a really close call.
危機一髪で助かった。
I was saved by a hair's breadth.
Similar to 危機一髪 but often implies a narrow escape in terms of timing or space. Literally 'a hair's breadth interval'.
間一髪で電車に間に合った。
I caught the train by a hair's breadth.
Literally 'the thickness of a sheet of paper'. Used to describe a very fine margin between two outcomes, often in abstract or competitive contexts.
合格と不合格は紙一重だった。
Passing and failing were a close call.
An adverbial phrase meaning 'at the last moment' or 'just barely'. Often used with verbs like 助かる (be saved) or 避ける (avoid).
すんでのところで車を避けた。
I avoided the car by a close call.
A term often used in safety contexts (e.g., workplace, traffic) for a 'near miss' incident. Combines onomatopoeia for a chill (ヒヤリ) and surprise (ハッ).
ヒヤリハット事例を報告する。
Report near-miss incidents.
危機一髪 emphasizes danger and a dramatic escape. 間一髪 focuses on a narrow margin in time or space. 紙一重 is used for very fine distinctions, often in non-life-threatening situations like test scores or quality differences.
危機一髪で命が助かった。
My life was saved by a close call.
間一髪で衝突を避けた。
We avoided a collision by a hair's breadth.
両者の実力は紙一重だ。
Their abilities are almost identical (a close call).
危機一髪だったね！
That was a close call!
あのトラックとは間一髪だった。
We had a close call with that truck.