Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
減少 (げんしょう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N2 Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb, intransitive verb, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
decrease ; reduction ; decline
Used for numbers, amounts, population, sales, risk, and similar measurable things going down. 減少する can be intransitive, as in 人口が減少する, and also transitive in more formal contexts, as in コストを減少する; 減少の is used before nouns such as 減少傾向.
Antonyms: 増加
The population in this region is decreasing year by year.
Kanji 減 dwindle, decrease, reduce Similar words 増ぞう 加か The direct opposite: 増加 means an increase or growth in number or amount.
低てい 下か 低下 emphasizes a drop in level, quality, ability, temperature, or value, while 減少 focuses on a smaller quantity or number.
削さく 減げん 削減 is an intentional cut or reduction, especially of expenses, personnel, or budgets; 減少 can be either natural or intentional.
Etymology A Sino-Japanese compound written with 減, associated with lessening or reducing, and 少, associated with being few or little. This component explanation describes the modern spelling and meaning; the precise historical formation is not specified.
