約やく束そく

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb

promise; agreement; one's word; contract

Broad everyday use for a promise or agreement, from a personal promise to a pact or contract-like understanding. Common patterns include 約束する, 約束を守る, and 約束を破る; for a formal legal contract, 契約 is often more precise.

• 秘ひ密みつを誰だれにも話はなさないと約やく束そくした。

  I promised not to tell anyone the secret.

• 約やく束そくを守まもるために、彼かれは時じ間かんどおりに来きた。

  He came on time to keep his promise.

noun

appointment; engagement; date

Used when there is an arrangement to meet or do something with someone. It often appears as 会う約束 or 約束がある, and can include a social date depending on context.

• 三さん時じに駅えきで友とも達だちと会あう約やく束そくがある。

  I have an appointment to meet a friend at the station at three.

noun

convention; rule

Refers to an agreed-upon convention, rule, or expected pattern within a field, art form, story, or group. In modern Japanese, 約束事 is also very common for this meaning.

• 歌か舞ぶ伎きには、初はじめて見みる人ひとには分わかりにくい約やく束そくがある。

  Kabuki has conventions that are hard for first-time viewers to understand.

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb

destiny; fate

Rare and literary or old-fashioned as a noun meaning fate or something ordained. Modern everyday Japanese usually uses 運命 or 定め instead for this meaning.

• 古ふるい文ぶん章しょうでは、約やく束そくが「運うん命めい」や「定さだめ」に近ちかい意い味みで使つかわれることがある。

  In older writing, 約束 is sometimes used with a meaning close to 'destiny' or 'fate.'