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引き金 (ひきがね, hikigane) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

引ひき金がね

ひ

き

が

ね

Common word›JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

trigger (of a gun, etc.)

Literal trigger of a firearm or similar mechanism.

彼かれは引ひき金がねを引ひいたが、弾たまは出でなかった。

He pulled the trigger, but the bullet didn't come out.

2

trigger (for something); immediate cause

Figurative use: an event or factor that directly causes something to happen.

その発はつ言げんが喧けん嘩かの引ひき金がねになった。
That remark triggered the fight.
小ちいさなミスが大おおきな事じ故この引ひき金がねになることもある。
A small mistake can sometimes trigger a major accident.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉の引ひき金がねとなるto become the trigger/cause of something
一ひとつの小ちいさな事じ件けんが戦せん争そうの引ひき金がねとなった。
A single small incident became the trigger for the war.
引ひき金がねに指ゆびをかけるto put one's finger on the trigger
彼かれは引ひき金がねに指ゆびをかけたまま動うごかなかった。
He stayed still with his finger on the trigger.

Expressions

引ひき金がねを引ひくpull the trigger; squeeze the trigger

Kanji

引pull, tug, jerk
金gold
鉄iron

Related words· 7

きっかけN3sense 2
きっかけ is a more general, neutral word for a chance or opportunity that starts something, while 引き金 emphasizes a direct, often negative, causal trigger.
原げん因いんN4sense 2
原因 is the plain, neutral word for a cause, while 引き金 specifically means the immediate event that sets off a (usually bad) chain of consequences.
誘ゆう因いん sense 2
誘因 is a formal, often academic term for a contributing or inducing factor, whereas 引き金 is a vivid, everyday metaphor for the decisive triggering cause.
導どう火か線せん
引き金 literally means the trigger of a gun and is used metaphorically for something that sets off an event, while 導火線 literally means a fuse and is used the same way, but 導火線 more often implies a slow build-up before the explosion.

Show 3 more

口くち火び
引き金 emphasizes a direct, often mechanical or violent cause (like pulling a trigger), while 口火 suggests an initial spark that sets off a larger chain of events.
トリガー
引き金 is the native Japanese word for a firearm's trigger and is also the standard word for a metaphorical trigger of an event, while トリガー is a katakana loanword often preferred in tech, business, or casual contexts.
誘さそい水みず
引き金 (literally a gun's trigger) is used for a sudden, often negative event that sets off a crisis or conflict, whereas 誘い水 usually describes a gentler, encouraging stimulus.

Built from

引ひく+金かね

Written forms

引ひき金がねUsage83%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
引ひき金がねUsage11%
Less common variant without okurigana.
引鉄ひきがねUsage4%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; it is rarely used.
引ひきがねUsage1%

Etymology

Compound of 引き (hiki, 'pulling') + 金 (kane, 'metal'). The reading がね is a rendaku form of かね. Originally referred to the metal trigger of a matchlock gun.

search-only kanji form

Search-only kana form; not a standard written spelling.

引ひき鉄がねUsage1%

rarely-used kanji form

Rare kanji form using 鉄; it is rarely used.