noun
negotiations; bargaining; haggling
Refers to back-and-forth discussion aimed at reaching an agreement, often involving compromise or price negotiation.
値段について店員と掛け合いをした。
I haggled with the clerk over the price.
労使の掛け合いは深夜まで続いた。
The labor-management negotiations continued until late at night.
noun
dialogue; duet; back-and-forth exchange
Used for scripted or improvised exchanges in performance, such as comic dialogue, musical duets, or dramatic interplay.
漫才の掛け合いが面白かった。
The comic duo's back-and-forth was funny.
ピアノとバイオリンの掛け合いが美しい。
The interplay between the piano and violin is beautiful.
Rarely used kanji form.
交渉 is a more formal term for negotiations, often used in business or diplomatic contexts, while 掛け合い implies a more direct, sometimes informal back-and-forth.
やり取り is a general term for exchange of words or items, whereas 掛け合い emphasizes the interactive, often competitive or performative nature of the exchange.
Compound of 掛け (kake, continuative form of 掛ける 'to hang, to engage') + 合い (ai, continuative form of 合う 'to meet, to do together'), literally 'engaging with each other'.