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.
Literally 'the thickness of a sheet of paper'. Used to describe a very fine margin between two outcomes, often in abstract or competitive contexts.
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.
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.
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.
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.
合格と不合格は紙一重だった。
Passing and failing were 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.
Their abilities are almost identical (a close call).
Their abilities are almost identical (a close call).