反応

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 反応 is a noun read はんのう for a response or reaction and is also used as 反応する.
• Basic usage: It describes people's reception of a proposal or whether any response appears when someone is called.
  • 新しい提案に対する皆の反応は意外に静かでした。 says that everyone's reaction to the new proposal was unexpectedly quiet; 呼びかけても反応がないので、もう一度名前を呼びました。 describes calling the name again because there was no response.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• に対する反応
  • に対する identifies what the reaction is directed toward, as in 提案に対する反応.
• 反応がない
  • がない means that no discernible response appeared. A quiet reaction in the first example does not itself mean agreement.
• 反応 and 返事
  • 返事(へんじ) is a verbal or written reply, while 反応 more broadly covers a change or response to speech, a stimulus, or a situation.