妥当 and 適切: a supported judgment and choices suited to a situation
Read a conclusion and a venue assessment with 妥当 alongside appropriate words and a request for suitable treatment with 適切.
Information and participant numbers with 妥当
「集めた資料から考えると、その結論は妥当です。」 (The conclusion is reasonable based on the collected information.) 妥当 (だとう) means reasonable or appropriate. The conclusion is described as reasonable based on the collected information. The information supplies the basis for that judgment.
「参加人数に対して会場の広さが妥当か検討しました。」 (We considered whether the venue was appropriate for the number of participants.) The venue's suitability for the number of participants was considered. 妥当か is the question examined, without a final finding that the venue was appropriate. 人数に対して identifies the relationship used in the assessment.
Words and a condition-dependent request with 適切
「質問には適切な言葉を選んで答えた。」 (I chose appropriate words to answer the question.) 適切 (てきせつ) means appropriate or suitable. Appropriate words were actually chosen to answer the question. Read the choice through its relationship to the question being answered.
「けがの状態に応じて適切に処置してください。」 (Provide suitable treatment according to the condition of the injury.) Suitable treatment is requested according to the injury's condition. 状態に応じて links the treatment to that condition. The sentence supplies no specific treatment method or completed treatment.
Keep the basis and situation with each judgment or choice
The 妥当 examples use collected information as a basis for a conclusion and participant numbers to assess a venue. The 適切 examples use a question and an injury's condition as the contexts for words or treatment.
The meanings overlap in appropriateness. Distinguish the bases and situations in these examples without making 妥当 exclusive to judgments or 適切 exclusive to actions. Preserve consideration, a completed answer and a treatment request as different states.
What relationships appear in a conclusion described as 妥当 and an answer using 適切な言葉?
Show the answer and why
The first links the conclusion's reasonableness to collected information. The second links the chosen words to the question answered. Their meanings can overlap, so the basis and situation in each example guide the distinction.