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状況
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The most useful, broad word for situation or context. Example: どういう状況でその言葉を使う？ (‘In what situation do you use that word?’ is a question I have asked 1,000,000 times in the course of assembling this list! You can use 状況 about any situation, but it has the feeling of a situation in flux, where things change rapidly.
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事態
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A somewhat negative and formal word for situation, usually used by police, lawyers, or reporters:‘There’s a huge fire in Tokyo, we’ll report as the situation develops.’
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事情
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Circumstances. A euphemism for ‘bad situation':crushing debt, mother is a prostitute, etc, in trouble with the mob, etc. 彼女、事情がありそうね. (She looks like she comes from Circumstances, doesn’t she?) Also differs from other ‘situation’ words because it emphasizes the circumstances behind a person’s actions. (i.e. the boss says, ‘You were late to work again, but if you explain your 事情, I might not punish you.’)
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状態
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The state or status of something:water is the liquid state of h20, but ice is the solid state. State of shock. Pristine state. Also can mean the state of affairs:good, bad, deadlocked, deteriororating, improving.
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様子
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The situation. Usually used in medicine or business:The patient’s situation is grave. We’ll wait and see if the market situation improves. 様子を見ましょう！ The other main way it’s used is:様子がおかしい！ Which means, ‘Something funny is going on here!’ or ‘There’s something funny about that person.’ ‘You mean the homeless with a stuffed duck on his head?’ ‘Yes.’
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調子
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Can be used with a living thing or object. Always used only with いい or 悪い. Emphasizes the LONG TERM condition.
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具合
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Can be used with a living thing or object. Always used only with いい or 悪い. Emphasizes the condition IN THE SHORT TERM – the condition at that particular time of day.
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KANJIDAMAGE