Usage patterns 〈 事こと 〉 が 〈 事こと 〉 の 呼よ び 水みず となる for one thing to serve as the trigger/stimulus for another
The government's investment served as the stimulus for economic growth.
〈 事こと 〉 を 呼よ び 水みず にする to use something as an initial incentive to spark a larger effect
They use discount campaigns as bait to attract new customers.
〈 事こと 〉 の 呼よ び 水みず として as a stimulus/trigger for something
They hope the new product launch will act as a stimulus for economic recovery.
Kanji 呼 call, call out to, invite Related words きっかけ is a general word for any trigger or opportunity that starts something, while 呼び水 specifically evokes an initial small input that draws out a much larger response, like water priming a pump.
刺激 is a broad term for stimulation of any kind (physical, mental, or economic), whereas 呼び水 refers narrowly to an initial action that sets off a chain of larger effects.
起爆剤 (literally 'detonator') suggests a sudden, explosive catalyst for change, while 呼び水 has a gentler image of priming or coaxing out a bigger reaction.
誘因 is a dry, analytical term for a contributing cause or inducement, while 呼び水 is a more vivid, figurative expression for the same kind of triggering factor.
呼び水 and 誘い水 both literally mean water poured to prime a pump and figuratively mean a trigger, and are largely interchangeable, though 呼び水 is slightly more common in economic writing.
Written forms 呼よ び 水みず Usage 100%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
呼よび 水みず
Less common variant without okurigana; learners may encounter it but should prefer 呼び水 .
Etymology Compound of 呼び (yobi, 'calling') + 水 (mizu, 'water'), literally 'calling water'. Originally referred to water poured into a pump to create suction and draw up more water; the figurative sense developed from this priming action.
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