触媒

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The written form is 触媒, read しょくばい. Elements for contact and mediation combine to denote a substance that accelerates a reaction or, figuratively, something that advances change.
• Basic usage: 触媒を加える denotes a physical substance added to an experiment, while 触媒となる gives a proposal the figurative role of advancing discussion.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A reaction observed in an experiment
  • A catalyst is added so that changes in the reaction can be observed. Example: 実験では触媒を加えて反応の変化を観察した。 — In the experiment, we added a catalyst and observed how the reaction changed.
• A proposal that moved discussion forward
  • Her proposal functions figuratively as the catalyst for further discussion. Example: 彼女の提案が議論を進める触媒となった。 — Her proposal became a catalyst for moving the discussion forward.