切開

せっかい

opening up, cutting through

JLPT N1

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"切開" (せっかい) primarily refers to the act of making an incision or cutting open, especially in medical contexts such as surgery. It is a formal term often used by healthcare professionals.

Common Contexts

You will most often encounter "切開" in medical settings, describing surgical procedures where a body part is cut open to treat or examine internal conditions. It is not used for casual cutting or opening objects.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 切開手術 (せっかいしゅじゅつ): incision surgery
  • 腹部を切開する: to make an incision in the abdomen
  • 切開後 (せっかいご): after the incision

These collocations highlight the formal and clinical nature of the word.

Register and Nuance

"切開" is a technical term and is not used in everyday conversation outside of medical or scientific discussions. Using it in casual contexts may sound overly formal or inappropriate.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse "切開" with general words for cutting like "切る" or "開ける." Remember that "切開" specifically implies a deliberate, often surgical, cutting open, not just any kind of cutting or opening.

Example Sentences

いしはかんじゃのふくぶをせっかいして、ないぶのじょうたいをかくにんした。

The doctor made an incision in the patient's abdomen to check the internal condition.

せっかいしゅじゅつはかんせんしょうのリスクがあるため、しんちょうにおこなわれる。

Incision surgery carries a risk of infection, so it is performed carefully.

このくすりはせっかいごのきずのちゆをはやめるこうかがある。

This medicine helps speed up the healing of wounds after an incision.