Simple Noun Expressions
かいがある
Worth doing
Plain form verb + かいがある
ます Stem + がいがある
甲斐がある (かいがある) is a phrase meaning that something has value. In other words, its worth it.
This expression may also be seen as 価値がある.
This pattern is usually past tense.
- 頑張ったかいがあった
It was worth trying hard. - 教師はやりがいがある仕事だ
Teaching is a job worth doing. (fulfilling) - 彼女の顔を見ると、本当に苦労したかいがあったと思う.
Looking at her face, I think it was really worth suffering.
可能性がある
Possibility
You probably already know this one. 可能性 means “Possibility” and 可能性がある means “there’s a possibility.
- 治療しないと死ぬ可能性がある
If we don’t treat it, there’s a possibility you might die. - 大阪に引っ越す可能性がある
There’s a possibility of moving to Osaka. - 彼ができる可能性がゼロ。
The possibility of him being able to do it is zero.
恐れがある
There’s a worry that…
恐れがある is a fancier way of saying 可能性がある, but with negative things.
It is an objective and formal phrase, and tends to be used in news and announcements.
- 大雨による洪水の恐れがある
There’s a worry of flooding due to the heavy rain. - 料理の後にガスを切らないとガス爆発の恐れがある。
If you don’t turn of the gas after cooking there’s a worry of an explosion. - 逃亡した容疑者は武器を持っている恐れがあります.
There’s a worry that the fleeing suspect has a weapon.
いわゆる
What is called…/Often called
いわゆる + Noun
Noun + と + いわゆる
いわゆる is technically an adjective, but I’m including it there.
It just means “So called” or “it is called”. i.e. 言われる.
- 彼はいわゆる「科学の天才」だ。
He is called a “scientific genius”. - カニに似ている生物に進化する傾向はいわゆる「カニ化」だ
The tendency for creatures to evolve into crabs is called “Crabization” (carcinization) - 私の好きな食べ物はピザ、ハンバーガーで、いわゆるアメリカンフード大好きです。(Weblio)
My favorite foods are pizza and hamburgers so I really like what is called “American food”.