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What may be the difference between the usage of チャンス and 機会 ?

For example:

1) これは機会だぜ！

2) これはチャンスだぜ！
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2011-07-08T07:11:39.750
1802
2014-05-17T16:36:25.360
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question
word-choice vocabulary nuances synonyms
What may be the difference between the usage of チャンス and 機会 ?
Do really people say "これは機会だぜ！"? I doubt it…

While you do say "これはチャンスだ" to mean "it's now or never", "just do it!", "go
for it!" and other once-in-a-life-time opportunities, I think that "機会" is a
much more usual opportunity, less outstanding situations. You would use 機会 to
say "Since everyone is here, this is the opportunity to discuss the
frobnication of frobnickers", or "I had the opportunity to meet her mother at
the local supermarket." Nothing to write home about, just a simple description
of the situation.

Also, by チャンス being a word of foreign roots, and 機会 a compound word, it is
likely that the former is more colloquial than the latter. I also wonder
whether 機会 isn't, statistically speaking, used to refer about an event in the
past, while チャンス would be used to talk about some opportunity still to take.

(If you say "これはアタックチャンスだ！" do not forget to clench your fist and wave it
doing circular motions in front of you)
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2011-07-08T07:26:20.923
1803
2011-07-08T16:07:45.313
2011-07-08T16:07:45.313
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As pointed out, for your examples チャンス would be more suitable. Although it
seems more natural to me to use 「が」or even 「こそ」.

> これ が／こそ チャンスだ！ → _This_ is your chance!

Also, 機会 has nothing to do with past or present.

If you want to expand your vocabulary, there are lots of other options to use
for "chance/opportunity", although the context may vary somewhat.

  * [好機]{こう・き}: a good opportunity; [好機到来]{こう・き・とう・らい}: when a good opportunity comes around / presents itself.

> 好機を[逃]{のが}す → Miss a good chance

  * きっかけ／[契機]{けい・き}: a chance, opportunity; a starting/turning point.

> テレビの故障をきっかけに、読書を趣味にした → When the TV broke (turning point), she took up
> reading as a hobby.

  * [折]{おり}: a chance, opportunity

> こちらにお出掛けの折には，お立ち寄りください → If you have a chance to come this way / When you
> are in the area, please drop by.

  * [千載一遇]{せん・ざい・いち・ぐう}: a golden opportunity; chance of a lifetime; 「千年に一度しかめぐりあえないほどまれな機会」: often used in conjunction with チャンス or 好機 (千載一遇の好機)

> この役はその女優にとって千載一遇のチャンスである → This role is a golden opportunity / the chance of
> a lifetime for the actress.

  * [一期一会]{いち・ご・いち・え}: a once-in-a-lifetime chance; a special occasion

> 彼女は何事にも一期一会の心で[臨]{のぞ}む → She does everything as if it were a once-in-a-
> lifetime chance / a special occasion.
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2011-07-08T15:35:29.837
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2014-05-17T16:36:25.360
2014-05-17T16:36:25.360
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