相そう

noun

appearance; look; aspect

General word for how something or someone looks, often used in phrases like 相が変わる or 相を見る.

• 彼かれは疲つかれた相そうで帰かえってきた。

  He came back looking tired.

• この町まちもずいぶん相そうが変かわった。

  This town has really changed its appearance.

noun

physiognomy; fortune-telling by facial features

Traditional practice of reading a person's fortune or character from their facial features; often used in contexts like 相を見る or 人相.

• 占うらない師しは彼かれの相そうを見みて、将しょう来らいを予よ言げんした。

  The fortune-teller read his physiognomy and predicted his future.

noun

grammatical aspect

Linguistic term for the temporal flow of an action (e.g., perfective, progressive).

• 日本にほん語ごの「～ている」は継けい続ぞく相そうを表あらわす。

  Japanese ～ている expresses the progressive aspect.

noun

phase (of matter)

Scientific term for distinct states of matter such as solid, liquid, gas, or plasma.

• 水みずは温おん度どによって液えき相そう、固こ相そう、気き相そうに変へん化かする。

  Water changes into liquid phase, solid phase, and gaseous phase depending on temperature.