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機会をうかがう (きかいをうかがう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

機き会かいをうかがう

Meanings

1

expression, godan verb (-u)

wait for one's chance; wait for an opportunity

Used when someone is watching for the right moment to act, often with a nuance of patience or stealth.

彼かれは昇しょう進しんの機き会かいをうかがっている。
He is waiting for a chance to get promoted.
泥どろ棒ぼうは留る守すになる機き会かいを

うかがっ

て

い

た

。

The burglar was waiting for an opportunity when the house would be empty.

Written forms

機き会かいをうかがう
Standard kana spelling for the verb うかがう in this expression; avoids kanji ambiguity.
機き会かいを窺うかがう
Kanji spelling using 窺う, which specifically means 'to watch for a chance'.
機き会かいを伺うかがう
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; 伺う normally means 'to visit' or 'to ask', but is sometimes used for this expression.

Kanji

機loom, mechanism, machine
会meeting, meet, party
窺lie in wait, spy on, reconnoiter
伺pay respects, visit, ask

Similar words

チャンスをうかがう
More casual and direct; uses the loanword チャンス instead of 機会.
機き会かいを待まつ
Simply 'to wait for an opportunity' without the nuance of actively watching for it.

Etymology

Phrase composed of 機会 (opportunity) + を (object marker) + うかがう (to watch for a chance). The verb うかがう originally meant 'to peek' or 'to spy', giving the expression a sense of stealthy observation.