かけがえ

also: かけかえ

か

け

が

え

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

replacement; substitute; rebuilding; changing

usually written using kana alone

Refers to something that can replace or be substituted for another, often used in the phrase かけがえのない (irreplaceable).

家か族ぞくはかけがえのない存そん在ざいだ。
Family is an irreplaceable presence.
この経けい験けんはかけがえのないものになった。
This experience became something irreplaceable.

See all 17 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと・物もの〉は〈人ひと〉にとって掛かけ替がえのない〈人ひと・物もの〉だ~ is irreplaceable to someone
彼かの女じょは私わたしにとって掛かけ替がえのない存そん在ざいです。
She is an irreplaceable presence in my life.
掛かけ替がえのない〈物もの〉an irreplaceable ~
家か族ぞくは掛かけ替がえのない宝たから物ものだ。
Family is an irreplaceable treasure.

Kanji

掛hang, suspend, depend
替exchange, spare, substitute
変unusual, change, strange

Related words

代かわりN4
代わり is the common, everyday word for a substitute or replacement, while 掛け替え is mostly used in the fixed phrase 掛け替えのない to stress that something cannot be replaced.
代だい替たい
代替 is a formal, often technical term for substitution (e.g. 代替品), whereas 掛け替え is used almost exclusively in the emotional expression 掛け替えのない.

Built from

かける+代かえる

Written forms

かけがえUsage96%
Usually written in kana; the kanji spellings 掛け替え and 掛け変え are less common.
掛け替えUsage3%
- かけがえ
  Kanji spelling using 替 (replace); restricted to reading かけがえ.
- かけかえ
かけかえUsage<1%
Alternate kana spelling reflecting the reading かけかえ; rarely used.
掛かけ変かえ
Alternate kanji spelling using 変 (change); reading かけかえ is less common.

Etymology

Compound of 掛け (kake, continuative form of 掛ける 'to hang, set') + 替え (kae, continuative form of 替える 'to replace'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the meaning of 'replacement' is conventionally associated with these components.