Meaning and Usage
"成熟" (せいじゅく) primarily means "maturity" or "ripeness." It is used both literally, such as fruits ripening, and figuratively, such as maturity in thinking or development.
Common Contexts
- Literal: Describing fruits or crops that have ripened and are ready to eat.
- Figurative: Describing a person's mental or emotional maturity.
- Business/Economics: Describing markets or industries that have reached a stable, developed phase.
Collocations and Patterns
- "果物が成熟する" (fruit ripens): literal ripeness.
- "考え方が成熟している" (thinking is mature): mental or emotional maturity.
- "市場が成熟段階に入る" (market enters mature stage): economic or business context.
Nuances and Tips
"成熟" is a formal word often used in written or formal spoken Japanese. It conveys a sense of completeness or full development. Avoid confusing it with "成長" (せいちょう), which means "growth" and emphasizes the process rather than the state of being mature.
When using "成熟" for people, it implies well-developed judgment or emotional stability rather than just age.