セーフ

セ

ー

フ

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Baseball term: a runner is called safe. Opposite of アウト.

〈人ひと〉がセーフになるa runner is called safe
ランナーは一いち塁るいでセーフになった。
The runner was called safe at first base.
〈物もの〉がセーフになるa ball lands within the field/court
ボールはラインぎわでセーフになった。
The ball landed just inside the line and was called safe.
ぎりぎりセーフjust barely in time/acceptable
締しめ切きりにぎりぎりセーフで間まに合あった。
I just barely made the deadline.
〈事こと〉はセーフだsomething is acceptable/OK (not a problem)
この服ふく装そうなら会かい社しゃでもセーフだと思おもう。
I think this outfit is acceptable even for the office.

安あん全ぜんN4sense 3
安全 is the formal, broad word for 'safety' in general, while セーフ is a casual loanword used narrowly for sports calls or narrowly meeting a limit.

アウトN3sense 3
out (ball); outside the line · out; putout · outer; external; outside · exit; exit here · front nine · no good; unacceptable; out of line · check-out time

イン sense 2
イン describes a shot or serve landing within the court lines, while セーフ describes a runner or ball being ruled safe from being called out; learners mix these up in tennis contexts.
セーブ
セーフ means 'safe' (e.g. safe in baseball), and sounds similar to セーブ but has a completely different meaning.

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Borrowed from English 'safe'. Used in baseball and other sports, then extended to general informal use.