制せい約やく

せ

い

や

く

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

制約する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	制せい約やくする	制せい約やくしない
Polite	制せい約やくします	制せい約やくしません
Past polite	制せい約やくしました	制せい約やくしませんでした
Past	制せい約やくした	制せい約やくしなかった
Te-form	制せい約やくして	制せい約やくしないで
Desire	制せい約やくしたい	制せい約やくしたくない
Potential	制せい約やくできる	制せい約やくできない
Passive	制せい約やくされる	制せい約やくされない
Causative	制せい約やくさせる	制せい約やくさせない
Causative passive	制せい約やくさせられる	制せい約やくさせられない
Volitional	制せい約やくしよう
Polite volitional	制せい約やくしましょう
Imperative	制せい約やくしろ	制せい約やくするな
Conditional	制せい約やくすれば	制せい約やくしなければ
Tara conditional	制せい約やくしたら	制せい約やくしなかったら

Meanings

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb

limitation; restriction; constraint

Refers to a binding condition or limit that restricts freedom of action, often used in formal, legal, or technical contexts. Can be used as a noun or with する to mean 'to impose a restriction'.

予よ算さんの制せい約やくで、計けい画かくを縮しゅく小しょうせざるを得えなかった。
Due to budget constraints, we had no choice but to scale down the plan.
法ほう律りつが私わたしたちの活かつ動どうを制せい約やくしている。
The law restricts our activities.

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Usage patterns

〈事こと〉に制せい約やくを受うけるto be subject to restrictions (on something)
予よ算さんに制せい約やくを受うけて、計けい画かくを縮しゅく小しょうした。
Constrained by the budget, we scaled down the plan.
〈事こと〉に制せい約やくを課かすto impose a restriction on something
新あたらしい法ほう律りつは輸ゆ出しゅつに厳きびしい制せい約やくを課かしている。
The new law imposes strict restrictions on exports.
〈物もの〉の制せい約やくの中なかでwithin the constraints of something
限かぎられた資し源げんの制せい約やくの中なかで最さい善ぜんを尽つくした。
We did our best within the constraints of limited resources.
制せい約やくが多おおいto have many restrictions/constraints
このプロジェクトは制せい約やくが多おおく、進すすめるのが難むずかしい。
This project has many constraints, making it hard to move forward.

Kanji

制system, law, rule
約promise, approximately, shrink

Related words

制せい限げんN3
制限 is a more general term for a quantitative cap or limit (e.g. time, number), while 制約 emphasizes a binding condition that restricts what can be done, often from an external source.
束そく縛ばくN1
束縛 carries a stronger negative sense of being tied down or oppressed, whereas 制約 is more neutral and common in technical or legal contexts.
拘こう束そくN1
拘束 often implies physical or legal restraint on a person's actions, while 制約 more broadly refers to any limiting condition, including on abstract things like plans or systems.

Don't confuse with

契けい約やくN3
制約 (せいやく, a restriction) and 契約 (けいやく, a contract) sound similar and share the kanji 約, but they refer to completely different concepts.
規き約やくN1
制約 (せいやく, a binding constraint) and 規約 (きやく, a set of rules or agreement) both end in やく and relate to rules, but 規約 refers to an established written agreement rather than a limiting condition.

Word family

制せい約やく伝でん搬ぱん
constraint propagation
制せい約やく充じゅう足そく
constraint satisfaction
制せい約やく条じょう件けん
limiting conditions; constraint
制せい約やく集しゅう号ごう
constraint set
制せい約やく集しゅう合ごう
constraint set
島しまの制せい約やく
island constraint

Etymology

Compound of 制 (control, regulate) and 約 (promise, approximately), suggesting a binding agreement or regulation that imposes limits. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination is conventionally associated with the meaning of 'restriction'.