Meaning and Usage
"停電" (ていでん) specifically refers to a power outage or failure of electricity supply. It is commonly used in everyday conversation and news reports when the electricity goes out unexpectedly.
Common Contexts
You will often hear "停電" in situations involving natural disasters like typhoons or earthquakes, or due to technical problems in the power grid. It is a noun and can be combined with verbs like 起きる (to occur) or 続く (to continue).
Collocations and Patterns
- 停電が起きる: a power outage occurs
- 停電が続く: the power outage continues
- 停電の影響: the impact of the power outage
- 停電中: during the power outage
Register and Usage Notes
"停電" is a neutral term suitable for both formal and informal contexts. It is not used for planned power shutdowns, which are usually called "計画停電" (planned power outage).
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "停電" with "断電" which also means power cut but is more technical or used in specific contexts like electrical engineering. For everyday conversation about power outages, "停電" is the preferred term.