地合い
Meanings
Refers to the tactile quality or surface feel of materials like cloth, fabric, or paper.
This fabric has a soft texture and is comfortable to wear.
market tone; undertone
Describes the prevailing mood or sentiment in a financial market, often used in stock or commodity reports.
The Tokyo market has a weak undertone today.
balance of stones
In the game of Go, refers to the overall balance or positional relationship between black and white stones on the board.
In this position, the balance of stones favors Black.
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉の地合いがいいthe texture/feel of something (fabric, paper) is good
This fabric has a nice texture and feels good against the skin.
- 地合いが強い／弱いthe market tone is strong/weak
The stock market has had a strong tone recently.
- 地合いを読むto read the balance of stones (in Go)
Professional Go players accurately read the balance of stones on the board.
- 地合いが悪化するthe market tone worsens
The tone for export-related stocks worsened due to the strong yen.