〜に踏み切る (~ni fumikiru) — to go ahead with ~ (after hesitating)
After long hesitation, deciding to take a big step even knowing the risk.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
You hear it again and again in economic news: 「日銀は、17年ぶりの利上げに踏み切った」— 'the Bank of Japan went ahead with its first rate hike in 17 years.'
Meaning
- 「踏み切る」is the strong push off the ground with your foot just before you jump — the railway crossing 踏切 comes from the same word.
- So the feeling is: for a long time there was hesitation about 'should we or shouldn't we', there was risk or opposition, but in the end someone found the nerve and took the big step.
How to attach
- Attach 「に踏み切る」after a noun for an action — it comes most often with words like 値上げ・利上げ・解散・提訴・導入・人員削減.
- If the hesitation is still there, it's 「〜に踏み切れない」.
Versus what you know
- A plain 「決める」doesn't carry this 'courage after hesitation'.
- It is the exact opposite of 「〜を余儀なくされる」from L17 (延期を余儀なくされた): there, circumstances force you against your will; here the subject decides for itself.
Watch out
The key rule: the subject must be a person or organisation that can decide, and the step must be big and consequential — it isn't used for a small daily thing like 「お茶を飲むことに踏み切った」.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
人手不足が続く中、その店は24時間営業の取りやめに踏み切った。
ひとでふそくがつづくなか、そのみせは24じかんえいぎょうのとりやめにふみきった。
As the labor shortage continued, the shop went ahead with ending its 24-hour operation.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 人手不足が続く中 = while the labor shortage continues → 24時間営業の取りやめ = stopping 24-hour operation (a noun) → 「に踏み切った」= after hesitating, took the plunge and did it.
両親の反対もあったが、彼女は日本での起業に踏み切った。
りょうしんのはんたいもあったが、かのじょはにほんでのきぎょうにふみきった。
Her parents were against it, but she went ahead and started her own business in Japan.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 両親の反対もあった = her parents were against it too (the reason to hesitate) → 日本での起業 = starting a business in Japan → 「に踏み切った」= she took the plunge.
中央銀行は、物価の上昇を抑えるため、利上げに踏み切った。
ちゅうおうぎんこうは、ぶっかのじょうしょうをおさえるため、りあげにふみきった。
The central bank went ahead with a rate hike to curb rising prices.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 物価の上昇を抑えるため = to hold down rising prices → 利上げ = raising interest rates (a noun) → 「に踏み切った」= after much thought, decided to do it.
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「政府は、反対意見もある中、消費税の引き上げ＿＿踏み切った。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint: N + ? + 踏み切る
N + に踏み切る: 消費税の引き上げに踏み切った = went ahead with raising the consumption tax. 「を」「で」「が」don't attach here.
In which sentence is 「に踏み切る」unnatural?
💡 Hint: A big step worth hesitating over, or a small daily thing?
「踏み切る」is for a big, risky decision. Drinking tea when thirsty is trivial — just say 「お茶を飲んだ」.
「大雪のため、イベントは中止＿＿。」— which is correct?
💡 Hint: The snow forced it — not anyone's own bold choice.
Circumstances forced it, so 「を余儀なくされた」. 「に踏み切った」needs a subject that decides, and an event can't decide. 「にとどまった」is about an amount stopping at a low level, and 「ことが分かった」can't follow a noun without 「だった」.
Your score: /3