行方ゆくえ

ゆ

く

え

Meanings

whereabouts; where someone or something is

Most common in contexts of locating someone or something, especially when their location is unknown; frequent in 行方不明.

His whereabouts are still unknown.

警けい察さつは行方ゆくえ不ふ明めいの子こどもを捜さがしている。

The police are searching for the missing child.

destination; where someone or something is headed

Refers to the direction, route, or destination being followed, rather than the present location.

子こどもは飛とんでいく風ふう船せんの行方ゆくえを目めで追おった。
The child followed with his eyes where the balloon was going.

outcome; course of events; direction things will take

Abstract use for how an event, contest, negotiation, election, or situation will develop or turn out.

選せん挙きょの行方ゆくえはまだ読よめない。
It is still impossible to predict the outcome of the election.
会かい議ぎの行方ゆくえを多おおくの社しゃ員いんが見み守まもっている。
Many employees are watching how the meeting will turn out.

future; road ahead; journey ahead

A more literary or old-fashioned extension referring to a person's future course in life; modern Japanese often uses 将来, 前途, or 行く末 for this idea.

古ふるい文ぶん章しょうでは、「若わか者ものの行方ゆくえを思おもう」の行方ゆくえが将しょう来らいを指さすことがある。
In older writing, 行方 in a phrase like “thinking of the young person's 行方” can refer to their future.

〈人ひと〉〉の行方ゆくえが分わからないsomeone's whereabouts are unknown
事じ故このあと、彼かれの行方ゆくえが分わからなくなった。
After the accident, his whereabouts became unknown.
〈人ひと〉〉の行方ゆくえを捜さがすto search for someone's whereabouts
警けい察さつは行方ゆくえを捜さがすために全ぜん力りょくを尽つくした。
The police did everything they could to find his whereabouts.
〈物も〉の行方〉のゆくえを追おうto track where something is headed
船ふねの行方ゆくえを追おって捜そう索さくが続つづけられた。
The search continued as they tracked where the ship was headed.
〈事こと〉〉の行方ゆくえを見守みまもるto watch how a matter will turn out
選せん挙きょの行方ゆくえを国こく民みんが見み守まもっている。
The public is watching closely to see how the election will turn out.
〈事こと〉〉の行方ゆくえが注目ちゅうもくされるthe outcome of an event draws attention
交こう渉しょうの行方ゆくえが国こく内ない外がいから注ちゅう目もくされている。
The outcome of the negotiations is attracting attention both at home and abroad.

所しょ在ざいN1sense 1
所在 is a more formal, official word for where a person or thing is, while 行方 often implies searching for someone whose location is unknown.
行いき先さきN3sense 2
行き先 is the everyday word for a destination, while 行方 in this sense is slightly more literary and can also cover the route or direction taken.
成なり行ゆきN1sense 3
成り行き stresses the natural, spontaneous development of a situation, whereas 行方 in this sense focuses on the eventual outcome or direction things take.
行ゆく末すえ sense 4
行く末 is the more common modern word for a person's future or road ahead, while 行方 in this sense is old-fashioned or literary.

Show 4 more

居い場ば所しょN2
行方 specifically refers to where a missing person or thing has gone, often with uncertainty, while 居場所 simply states someone's current location.
足あし取どり
行方 refers to a person's unknown destination or current whereabouts, while 足取り refers to the traceable route or movements they have already made.
行ゆく先さきN1
行方 is the standard word for someone's whereabouts (often when missing), while 行く先 in this sense is a slightly more formal alternative.

行方ゆくえUsage94%
Standard and common spelling for ゆくえ.
ゆくえUsage5%
行ゆくえUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Mixed kanji-kana form marked as search-only; not recommended as a normal spelling.
行ゆく衛えUsage<1%

Native Japanese in origin; the spelling 行方 reflects the idea of the direction or place to which something goes. The rare 行衛 spelling is ateji.

行方 focuses narrowly on where someone or something has gone, while 消息 covers both whereabouts and general news about them.

ateji (phonetic kanji usage)

rarely-used kanji form

Rare ateji spelling given; useful mainly for recognition.