激減 in 30 Seconds
- 激減 (Gekinen) means a sharp, dramatic, and sudden decrease in numbers or amounts.
- It is a combination of 'intense' (激) and 'decrease' (減), suggesting a violent drop.
- Commonly used in news, business, and environmental contexts to describe crises or major shifts.
- Functions as both a noun and an intransitive 'suru' verb (to plummet/crash).
The term 激減 (Gekinen) is a powerful Japanese compound noun that describes a situation where numbers, quantities, or degrees do not just go down, but crash down with violent force. The first kanji, 激 (geki), signifies something 'violent,' 'intense,' or 'furious.' It is the same character used in words like 激しい (hashii - violent) or 激励 (gekirai - encouragement/shouting at someone). The second kanji, 減 (gen), means 'decrease' or 'reduction.' When fused together, they create a linguistic image of a cliff-edge drop rather than a gentle slope.
- Intensity Level
- This word is reserved for drops of 50%, 70%, or even 90%. It is not used for a 5% dip in sales.
- Speed of Change
- Implicit in '激減' is the speed. It suggests that the change happened so fast that it caused a shock to the system or the environment.
- Visual Metaphor
- Think of a waterfall or a sudden crash in the stock market. It is a visual representation of a line graph plunging vertically.
観光客の数が、パンデミックの影響で激減した。(The number of tourists decreased dramatically due to the impact of the pandemic.)
In a broader sense, 激減 is often used in scientific reports, economic news, and environmental warnings. If a species of animal is facing extinction, their population is said to be 激減. If a company loses its main client, its revenue will 激減. It carries a heavy, often negative nuance, though it can occasionally be positive, such as when the number of crimes or accidents 激減 (decreases sharply).
不景気でボーナスが激減してしまった。(Because of the recession, bonuses have plummeted.)
最近、この川の魚が激減している。(Recently, the fish in this river have been decreasing sharply.)
Using 激減 (Gekinen) correctly requires understanding its grammatical flexibility as both a noun and a 'suru' verb. In most daily conversations and news reports, you will see it paired with the verb する (suru) to describe an action of plummeting.
- Verb Form: 〜が激減する
- Used to describe the subject that is decreasing. Example: 収入が激減する (Income plummets).
- Noun Form: 〜の激減
- Used to describe the phenomenon itself. Example: 人口の激減 (The sharp decrease in population).
When you want to emphasize the *cause* of the decrease, you often use the particle 'で' (due to) or 'によって' (by/because of). For example, '大雨で客が激減した' (Customers plummeted due to heavy rain). Note that 激減 is an intransitive concept; you don't 'gekinen' something, something 'gekinen's' on its own. If you want to say you reduced something sharply, you would use '激減させる' (gekinen saseru - to cause a sharp decrease).
If (Condition) {
Value = Value * 0.1;
Status = "激減";
}
You will encounter 激減 most frequently in formal or professional settings. It is a staple of NHK news broadcasts, economic journals like the Nikkei, and environmental documentaries. When a news anchor reports on the 'birth rate crisis' in Japan, they will inevitably use the phrase '出生数の激減' (the sharp drop in the number of births).
- Business Meetings: '先月の売上が激減しました' (Sales plummeted last month). This usually precedes a serious discussion about cost-cutting.
- Environmental Reports: Discussing the loss of biodiversity or the melting of polar ice.
- Social Media: Influencers complaining about their 'engagement' or 'reach' dropping after an algorithm change: 'インプレッションが激減した!'
「最近、若者の車離れで、免許を取る人が激減しているらしいよ。」(I heard the number of people getting licenses is plummeting because young people are moving away from cars.)
In casual conversation, it might be used for hyperbole. If a popular restaurant suddenly has no line, a local might say '客が激減したね' (The customers have really thinned out, haven't they?).
The most common mistake learners make with 激減 is using it for minor changes. Because it contains the kanji for 'violent,' it carries a high emotional and statistical weight. If you lose 2 kilograms on a diet, you wouldn't say your weight '激減した' unless you were previously 200kg and lost 50kg in a week.
- Mistake 1: Confusing with 減少 (Genshō)
- Genshō is for any decrease. Gekinen is for a *crash*. Don't use Gekinen for a 2% drop.
- Mistake 2: Transitivity Errors
- Incorrect: '予算を激減した' (I plummeted the budget). Correct: '予算を大幅に削った' or '予算が激減した'.
Understanding the synonyms of 激減 helps you choose the right level of intensity for your Japanese communication. While 激減 is the most common for 'sharp decrease,' other words offer different flavors.
- 急減 (Kyūgen)
- Focuses on the *suddenness* (speed) rather than the *intensity* (amount). Often used in stock market contexts.
- 激落 (Gekiraku)
- Literally 'violent fall.' Used specifically for prices or rankings. It feels more 'physical' than 激減.
- 激減 vs. 減少
- 減少 is the generic term. If you aren't sure if the drop is 'violent' enough, stick with 減少.
Similar words often appear in the same news segment to avoid repetition. '人口が減少し、特に若年層が激減している。' (The population is decreasing, and specifically the younger generation is plummeting.)
How Formal Is It?
Difficulty Rating
Grammar to Know
〜の影響で
〜により
〜の一途を辿る
〜を余儀なくされる
〜かねない
Examples by Level
お菓子が激減した。
The sweets decreased sharply.
Subject + ga + gekinen shita.
お金が激減しました。
My money plummeted.
Polite past tense.
人が激減したね。
People decreased a lot, didn't they?
Adding 'ne' for agreement.
鳥が激減しています。
The birds are decreasing sharply.
Present progressive state.
冬は客が激減する。
In winter, customers plummet.
General truth/habit.
魚が激減して悲しい。
I'm sad because the fish plummeted.
Te-form for reason.
テストの点が激減した。
My test scores plummeted.
Abstract quantity.
バスの数が激減した。
The number of buses plummeted.
Countable nouns.
雨のせいで、イベントの参加者が激減した。
Because of the rain, participants plummeted.
〜のせいで (because of).
新しい店ができて、前の店の客が激減した。
A new shop opened, so the old shop's customers plummeted.
Sequence of events.
この村では子供の数が激減している。
In this village, the number of children is plummeting.
Ongoing trend.
不景気でボーナスが激減して困っている。
Bonuses plummeted due to the recession, so I'm in trouble.
Compound sentence.
最近、手紙を書く人が激減しましたね。
Recently, people who write letters have plummeted.
Relative clause.
スマホの使いすぎで、勉強時間が激減した。
By using my phone too much, my study time plummeted.
Cause and effect.
海外旅行に行く人が激減した時期があった。
There was a time when people going abroad plummeted.
Past time period.
森が切られて、動物が激減してしまった。
The forest was cut, and animals plummeted (unfortunately).
〜てしまった (regret).
少子化の影響で、小学校のクラス数が激減している。
Due to the low birthrate, the number of elementary school classes is plummeting.
〜の影響で (due to the influence of).
オンライン会議の普及により、出張が激減した。
With the spread of online meetings, business trips plummeted.
〜により (by means of/due to).
そのスキャンダルの後、彼のファンは激減した。
After that scandal, his fans plummeted.
Temporal marker 'no ato'.
輸入が止まったため、在庫が激減している。
Because imports stopped, stock is plummeting.
〜ため (formal because).
若者のテレビ離れが進み、視聴率が激減した。
Young people moving away from TV has progressed, and ratings plummeted.
Stem form for connection.
価格を上げたら、注文が激減してしまった。
When we raised the price, orders plummeted.
Conditional 'tara'.
環境汚染によって、この地域の昆虫が激減した。
Due to environmental pollution, insects in this area plummeted.
Formal cause.
キャッシュレス化で、財布を持ち歩く人が激減した。
With the move to cashless, people carrying wallets plummeted.
Noun + ka (transformation).
原材料の高騰が、企業の利益を激減させる要因となった。
The soaring cost of raw materials became a factor that caused corporate profits to plummet.
Causative 'gekinen saseru'.
その法律の改正により、不法投棄が激減したことが報告された。
It was reported that illegal dumping plummeted due to the revision of that law.
Reported speech structure.
需要の激減に対応するため、工場は一時閉鎖された。
To respond to the sharp drop in demand, the factory was temporarily closed.
Noun form + no + gekinen.
かつては栄えていたが、今は人口が激減し、過疎化が進んでいる。
It once flourished, but now the population has plummeted and depopulation is progressing.
Contrastive 'ga'.
デジタル化の波に押され、紙の書籍の売り上げが激減している。
Pushed by the wave of digitalization, sales of paper books are plummeting.
Passive 'osareru'.
政府の対策が功を奏し、交通事故の死者数が激減した。
The government's measures were effective, and the number of traffic fatalities plummeted.
Idiom 'kō o sōsu' (be effective).
競合他社の参入により、市場シェアが激減する恐れがある。
There is a fear that market share will plummet due to the entry of competitors.
〜恐れがある (fear/risk of).
SNSの普及は、情報の伝達速度を上げ、デマの拡散も激減させたわけではない。
The spread of SNS increased information speed, but it doesn't mean it caused the spread of rumors to plummet.
Double negative/Partial negation.
バブル崩壊後、地価は激減し、経済は長期的な停滞期に入った。
After the bubble burst, land prices plummeted, and the economy entered a long-term stagnation.
Historical context.
特定の外来種の侵入が、在来種の個体数を激減させる事態を招いている。
The invasion of specific invasive species is leading to a situation where the population of native species is plummeting.
Complex causal structure.
その政権の支持率は、不祥事が相次いだことで激減の一途を辿っている。
The administration's approval rating is on a steady, sharp decline due to successive scandals.
〜の一途を辿る (to continue to...).
自動化技術の導入は、単純労働の需要を激減させる一方で、高度なスキルを求める職を増やした。
While the introduction of automation technology caused the demand for simple labor to plummet, it increased jobs requiring high skills.
〜一方で (on the other hand).
気候変動による海面上昇は、沿岸部の居住可能エリアを激減させるリスクを孕んでいる。
Sea-level rise due to climate change carries the risk of causing habitable coastal areas to plummet.
〜リスクを孕んでいる (to be fraught with risk).
伝統的な職人技の継承者が激減している現状を打破するため、新たな支援策が必要だ。
To break through the current situation where successors of traditional craftsmanship are plummeting, new support measures are necessary.
Noun modification.
過度な規制は、自由な経済活動を阻害し、投資意欲を激減させかねない。
Excessive regulation could hinder free economic activity and potentially cause investment motivation to plummet.
〜かねない (might/could).
その都市は、主要産業の衰退とともに、税収が激減し、財政破綻の危機に瀕している。
Along with the decline of its main industry, the city's tax revenue plummeted, and it is on the verge of financial collapse.
〜とともに (along with).
当該生態系における頂点捕食者の激減は、栄養段階の連鎖的崩壊を引き起こす蓋然性が高い。
The sharp decline of apex predators in the ecosystem in question has a high probability of causing a trophic cascade collapse.
Academic/Scientific register.
構造改革の断行により、既得権益層の不当な利得は激減したものの、社会的な格差は依然として解消されていない。
Although the unfair gains of the vested interest groups plummeted due to the resolute execution of structural reforms, social inequality remains unresolved.
Concessive 'monono'.
パンデミックという未曾有の災禍は、航空業界の旅客需要を激減させ、業界再編を余儀なくさせた。
The unprecedented disaster of the pandemic caused passenger demand in the aviation industry to plummet, forcing industry restructuring.
〜を余儀なくさせる (to force someone to do).
マクロ経済学の視点から見れば、消費支出の激減はデフレスパイラルを加速させる主因となり得る。
From a macroeconomic perspective, a sharp drop in consumer spending can be a primary factor accelerating a deflationary spiral.
〜となり得る (can become).
言論の自由が弾圧される社会では、多様な意見の表出が激減し、思考の均質化が進行する。
In a society where freedom of speech is suppressed, the expression of diverse opinions plummets, and the homogenization of thought progresses.
Abstract social analysis.
統計的な有意性を考慮しても、特定の地域における罹患率の激減は、介入施策の有効性を裏付けている。
Even considering statistical significance, the sharp drop in morbidity in specific regions supports the effectiveness of the intervention measures.
Statistical terminology.
デジタル・トランスフォーメーションの遅滞は、企業の競争力を削ぎ、市場価値を激減させる致命的な要因となる。
Delays in digital transformation sap corporate competitiveness and become a fatal factor that causes market value to plummet.
Business strategic analysis.
グローバル化の進展は、国境の壁を低くした一方で、地域固有の文化的多様性を激減させる懸念も孕んでいる。
While the progress of globalization has lowered border walls, it also carries concerns about causing a sharp decline in region-specific cultural diversity.
Complex balanced sentence.
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
Often Confused With
Genshō is any decrease; Gekinen is a huge, fast decrease.
Kyūgen emphasizes speed; Gekinen emphasizes the intensity/amount.
Teika is for quality or level; Gekinen is for quantity or number.
Idioms & Expressions
Easily Confused
Sentence Patterns
Word Family
Related
How to Use It
Usually used negatively: '収入が激減した' (Income plummeted).
Can be used positively: '犯罪が激減した' (Crime plummeted).
- Using it for a 5% decrease.
- Using 'wo' instead of 'ga' (e.g., *Uriage wo gekinen shita).
- Using it for positive personal feelings (e.g., *Kanashimi ga gekinen shita).
- Confusing the kanji 激 with 劇 (Geki - drama).
- Forgetting the 'n' sound at the end (Gekige...).
Tips
Visualizing Data
When you see a line graph with a sharp downward angle, that is the perfect time to use 激減.
Academic Tone
In reports, use '激減が見られる' (A sharp decrease is observed) for a more objective tone.
Emotional Impact
Use 激減 to show you are serious. It carries more weight than 'sugoku hetta'.
Kanji Roots
Remember 'Geki' from 'Gekiteki' (dramatic). It makes the decrease dramatic.
Particle Choice
Always use 'ga' with 激減する unless you are using the causative 'o ... gekinen saseru'.
News Keywords
If you hear 'Gekinen' on the news, pay attention to the word right before it; that's the problem.
Social Issues
Use it when discussing Japan's population issues to sound like you understand the gravity of the situation.
The 'Geki' Sound
The 'Geki' sound is sharp, just like the drop it describes.
Vs. Kyūgen
Use Gekinen for the 'wow' factor of the amount; use Kyūgen for the 'wow' factor of the speed.
Business Context
In a company, 'Gekinen' is a red flag. Use it to alert your boss to a crisis.
Memorize It
Word Origin
Sino-Japanese compound (Kango) used to intensify the standard concept of reduction.
Cultural Context
Common in sensationalist headlines.
Used in quarterly reports to explain unexpected losses.
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Conversation Starters
"最近、何か激減したものはありますか？ (Is there anything that has plummeted for you recently?)"
"この町の人口が激減していることについてどう思いますか？ (What do you think about the population of this town plummeting?)"
"給料が激減したら、まず何を削りますか？ (If your salary plummeted, what would you cut first?)"
"SNSのフォロワーが激減した経験はありますか？ (Have you ever experienced your SNS followers plummeting?)"
"環境破壊で動物が激減するのは防げるでしょうか？ (Can we prevent animals from plummeting due to environmental destruction?)"
Journal Prompts
もし自分の自由時間が激減したら、どう対処するか書いてください。(Write about how you would cope if your free time plummeted.)
最近のニュースで「激減」という言葉を聞いた時のことを思い出して書いてください。(Recall and write about a time you heard the word 'gekinen' in the news.)
自分の国で激減しているもの（文化、習慣、動物など）について説明してください。(Explain something that is plummeting in your country.)
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, but only if you lost a massive amount of weight very quickly. If you lost 1kg, just use '減った' (hetta).
Yes, it is quite formal. In casual speech, people might say 'めちゃくちゃ減った' (mechakucha hetta).
The direct opposite is 激増 (Gekizō), which means a sharp increase.
It sounds a bit strange and overly clinical. 'Ai ga sameta' (love cooled) is more natural.
No, it is intransitive. You must use '激減させる' to make it transitive.
There is no set percentage, but usually, it implies a change significant enough to be considered a 'crash' or 'plummet'.
It is Heiban (flat), so don't stress any particular syllable too much.
Yes, 'Jikan ga gekinen shita' (Time plummeted) is common when describing a busy schedule.
Yes, it frequently appears in N2 and N1 reading and listening sections.
Yes, but '暴落' (bōraku) is more common for stock prices specifically.
Test Yourself 180 questions
/ 180 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
Use 激減 when a decrease is so large and fast that it is shocking or has serious consequences. It is the linguistic equivalent of a vertical drop on a line graph.
- 激減 (Gekinen) means a sharp, dramatic, and sudden decrease in numbers or amounts.
- It is a combination of 'intense' (激) and 'decrease' (減), suggesting a violent drop.
- Commonly used in news, business, and environmental contexts to describe crises or major shifts.
- Functions as both a noun and an intransitive 'suru' verb (to plummet/crash).
Visualizing Data
When you see a line graph with a sharp downward angle, that is the perfect time to use 激減.
Academic Tone
In reports, use '激減が見られる' (A sharp decrease is observed) for a more objective tone.
Emotional Impact
Use 激減 to show you are serious. It carries more weight than 'sugoku hetta'.
Kanji Roots
Remember 'Geki' from 'Gekiteki' (dramatic). It makes the decrease dramatic.
Example
売上が激減しました。
Related Content
More Math words
面積
A1面積 refers to the measurement of the size of a surface or the amount of space inside a two-dimensional shape. It is commonly used in mathematics, real estate, and geography to describe how much space a flat object or land occupies.
計算
A1The process of using numbers to find a total or result, such as addition, subtraction, or multiplication. It can refer to basic arithmetic, professional accounting, or the general act of estimating or planning a outcome.
算定
A1The process of calculating or estimating a specific numerical value, amount, or cost based on a set of fixed criteria or standards. It is a formal term often used in legal, insurance, financial, or administrative contexts to determine an official figure.
容積
A1The internal volume or capacity of a container or three-dimensional space. It refers to how much a container can hold, often used in architectural, shipping, or scientific contexts.
円周
A1The distance around the outside of a circle. It is a mathematical term used to describe the perimeter or boundary line of a circular shape.
算出
A1The process of calculating or computing a numerical value using data or a specific formula. It is often used in formal or technical contexts to describe arriving at a final figure or result.
減少
A1A reduction or decrease in the quantity, number, or amount of something. It is commonly used in both general conversation and formal reports to describe a downward trend in data or resources.
対角
A1Refers to a diagonal relationship or position, specifically relating to opposite corners or angles in a geometric shape or a physical space. It is commonly used in mathematics to describe lines connecting non-adjacent vertices, as well as in daily life to describe sitting or standing diagonally across from someone.
直径
A1The distance from one side of a circle to the other, passing through the center point. It is a fundamental measurement used in geometry and daily life to describe the size of round objects like plates or pipes.
距離
A1Kyori refers to the physical amount of space between two points or objects. It can also be used figuratively to describe the psychological or emotional gap between people in a relationship.
