懸賞

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 懸賞 is a noun read けんしょう for a contest offering a prize or a promotional prize drawing.
• Basic usage: It appears when entering an original work in a magazine contest or winning an item in a store promotion.
  • 雑誌の懸賞に自作の短い物語を応募しました。 describes entering a self-written short story in a magazine contest; 店の懸賞で手作りの皿が当たりました。 says that a handmade plate was won in a store prize drawing.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 懸賞に応募する
  • に marks the contest being entered, while を marks the work submitted.
• 懸賞で当たる
  • で marks the event or opportunity in which the win occurs, while が marks the prize won.
• 懸賞 and 賞
  • 賞(しょう) is the award itself, while 懸賞 focuses on the contest or drawing through which an award or prize can be received.