傾向
けいこう
keikou
The word refers to a general direction of change or a recurring pattern of behavior. It is a neutral to formal term frequently used in academic, business, and psychological contexts to describe observed patterns based on data or repeated experience.
While it can be translated as "trend," it differs from the loanword トレンド (trend), which typically refers to temporary fashions or popular styles. 傾向 is more about a structural or inherent inclination that persists over time.
When describing a person's habit, 傾向 is used for general behavioral patterns (e.g., "tends to be pessimistic"), whereas 癖 (kuse) is used for specific, often unconscious physical habits or idiosyncratic quirks (e.g., "a habit of biting nails").
In practice, it is most commonly used in the pattern 〜傾向がある (have a tendency to...) or 〜傾向が見られる/示される (a trend is observed/shown), making it an essential term for reporting results or analyzing social phenomena.
Meanings
A general direction in which something is developing or changing; an inclination to behave in a particular way.
傾向がある。
There is a tendency.
Examples
最近の若い人は個人的な価値観を重視する傾向が強い。
Young people these days have a strong tendency to value personal values.
市場のデータを見ると消費支出が減少する傾向にある。
Looking at the market data, there is a trend toward a decrease in consumer spending.
彼は緊張すると早口になる傾向があるから気をつけよう。
He tends to speak fast when he is nervous, so let's be careful.
テストの結果から苦手な分野に明確な傾向が見える。
A clear trend in the areas of weakness can be seen from the test results.
I was pointed out that the content of the report tends to be too optimistic.
冬になると気分が沈みやすい傾向があるのはなぜだろう。
I wonder why there is a tendency to feel depressed when winter comes.
新製品の売上は都市部で高い傾向が確認された。
A trend of high sales for the new product was confirmed in urban areas.