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必携 (ひっけい, hikkei) Japanese meaning: indispensable | Kotomora

必ひっ携けい

ひ

っ

け

い

Common word›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun, used as a suffix

indispensable; essential; must-have

Used as a suffix or with の to describe something one should always carry or have at hand, such as a reference book, tool, or item.

この辞じ書しょは

学がく

習しゅう

者しゃ

必ひっ

携けい

の

一いっ

冊さつ

だ

。

This dictionary is an indispensable book for learners.

旅りょ行こう必ひっ携けいのアイテムをリストにまとめた。

I listed the must-have items for the trip.

2

handbook; manual; vade mecum

Usually appears in book titles to mean a compact reference work meant to be kept close at hand.

『山やま歩あるき必ひっ携けい』という本ほんを買かった。
I bought a book called 'A Handbook for Mountain Walking'.
このシリーズは現げん場ば必ひっ携けいとして重ちょう宝ほうされている。
This series is valued as an on-site manual.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉必ひっ携けいの〈物もの〉a must-have 〈物〉 for 〈人〉
受じゅ験けん生せい必ひっ携けいの参さん考こう書しょ。
A reference book that's a must-have for exam candidates.
〈事こと〉必ひっ携けいhandbook of 〈事〉 (used as a book title)
「登と山ざん必ひっ携けい」というガイドブックを買かった。
I bought a guidebook titled "Mountain Climbing Handbook."
〈物もの〉は必ひっ携けいだX is an essential thing to carry
旅りょ行こうには雨あま具ぐが必ひっ携けいだ。
Rain gear is essential for the trip.

Kanji

必invariably, certain, inevitable
携portable, carry (in hand), armed with

Related words

必ひっ須すN1sense 1
必須 means 'mandatory/required' in a general sense (courses, conditions), while 必携 specifically refers to an item one must always carry with them.
必ひつ要ようN4sense 1
必要 is the plain, general word for 'necessary' applicable to anything, whereas 必携 narrows this to physical items that should be kept on hand.
携けい帯たいN3sense 1
携帯 simply means 'portable' or 'carrying something with you', while 必携 adds the stronger sense that carrying it is indispensable.
必ひつ読どくN1sense 2
必読 is used for texts one must read, while 必携 covers any object one must always have at hand, often in book titles for the latter's manual sense.

Opposites

不ふ要ようN1sense 1
不要 means 'unnecessary/not needed', the direct opposite of 必携's sense of something one absolutely must carry.

Don't confuse with

必ひつ需じゅ sense 1
必需 almost always appears bound in 必需品 ('daily necessity') and cannot stand alone as an adjective, unlike 必携 which is freely used with の or as a suffix.
必ひっ着ちゃくN1
必着 is about something arriving by a set date, whereas 必携 means an item (like a reference book) is essential to carry with you, and learners often mix up the two because both start with 必.

Word family

必ひっ携けい品ひん
must-have; indispensable item; necessities

Etymology

Compound of 必 (certainly, must) and 携 (carry, portable). The word follows the pattern of Sino-Japanese compounds where the first character modifies the second, yielding the meaning 'must-carry' or 'indispensable to have at hand'.