Meaning

Primary

Being Proportional

Alternative

Proportion

Word Type

verbal noun, noun

Explanation

You compare examples, trying to figure out in which way they're being proportional. You know these examples you're comparing are in proportion to one another, you just need to figure out how.

Use 比例 when talking about how one thing changes in proportion to another. Like the price of a good in proportion to its supply and demand, for instance. Check out our common word combinations and context sentences for some examples!

Reading

ひれい
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This is a jukugo word, which usually means on'yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you'll know how to read this as well.

Context

Common Word Combinations

  • 時間に比例する

    to be proportional to time

    二乗に比例する

    to be proportional to the square of something

    量に比例する

    to be proportional to the quantity

    y の大きさに比例する

    to be proportional to the size of y

Context Sentences

それに比例して、コストも上がります。

Costs will also increase in proportion.

これがyの大きさに比例するのは分かりますか?

Do you see how this is proportional to the value of y?

ボクは、仕事の大変さと楽しさは比例すると思うんだ。

I think the enjoyment I get from work is proportional to how hard it is.

外国語能力は、学習時間に比例して高くなるというワケではない。

Foreign language proficiency doesn't necessarily improve in proportion to the amount of time spent studying.

Kanji Composition