差さし当あたり

さ

し

あ

た

り

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

adverb

for the time being; at present; for now

usually written using kana alone

Common adverbial expression meaning 'for the immediate future' or 'as a temporary measure'. Often used when a situation is provisional or when one is speaking about the current state of affairs.

Usage patterns

差さし当あたり〈動どう詞し〉for the time being, (do something)
差さし当あたり、今いまの仕し事ごとを続つづけることにした。
For the time being, I've decided to continue my current job.
差さし当あたり〈事こと〉はないthere is nothing pressing for now
差さし当あたり困こまることはない。
There's nothing troubling me at the moment.

Kanji

差distinction, difference, variation
当hit, right, appropriate

Related words

さしあたって sense 1
差し当たり and 差し当たって both mean 'for the time being', but 差し当たって is slightly more formal or emphatic and common in written Japanese.
当とう面めん sense 1
当面 is a more formal, often business-oriented word for 'for the time being', while 差し当たり is used in everyday speech as well as writing.
とりあえずN2sense 1
とりあえず is a more casual, conversational way to say 'for now', whereas 差し当たり sounds a bit more formal or considered.
今いまのところ sense 1
今のところ emphasizes the current state of affairs ('as things stand now'), while 差し当たり focuses more on a temporary measure for the near future.
ひとまずN2
さしあたり and ひとまず both mean 'for the present', but さしあたり sounds more formal and is common in written or business contexts.

Written forms

差さし当あたりUsage12%
Standard kanji spelling with high priority.
さしあたりUsage88%
Usually written in kana.
差さし当あたり
Variant kanji spelling without the okurigana し.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 差し当たる (さしあたる), meaning 'to face' or 'to confront directly'. The adverbial form 差し当たり originally meant 'facing the present situation', which developed into 'for the time being'.