救助

きゅうじょ

relief, aid, rescue

JLPT N3

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"救助" (きゅうじょ) means rescue or aid, often used in contexts involving saving people from danger or providing emergency help. It is a noun but can be part of verbs or phrases related to rescue operations.

Common Contexts

You will often see "救助" in news reports about natural disasters, accidents, or emergencies where people need to be saved. It implies active intervention to help someone in distress.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 救助隊 (きゅうじょたい): rescue team, the group performing rescue operations.
  • 救助活動 (きゅうじょかつどう): rescue activities, the actions taken to save people.
  • 救助に向かう (きゅうじょにむかう): to head towards rescue, showing immediate action.

Register and Nuance

"救助" is a formal word often used in official or serious contexts such as news, emergency services, or formal reports. It is not casual and usually refers to physical rescue rather than abstract help.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse "救助" with "助ける" (to help) which is more general and can be used in everyday situations. "救助" specifically implies rescue from danger or emergency situations, so use it when talking about saving lives or urgent aid.

Example Sentences

やまでそうなんしたとざんしゃをきゅうじょたいがぶじにきゅうじょした。

The rescue team safely rescued the climbers who got lost in the mountains.

さいがいじにはじんそくなきゅうじょかつどうがもとめられる。

During disasters, prompt rescue operations are required.

かれはおぼれているこどもをみて、すぐにきゅうじょにむかった。

He saw a drowning child and immediately went to rescue.