を機に【をきに】

The grammar structure を機に (をきに) is used to express that someone takes a particular event or occasion as a turning point or opportunity to do something new, make a change, or start something. It conveys the idea of "taking the occasion of X to do Y" or "using X as an opportunity to Y."

The event described before を機に is typically a significant life event, milestone, or notable change – something weighty enough to serve as a catalyst for action.

Usage notes

The noun before を機に is usually a significant event such as けっこん結婚 (marriage), にゅうがく入学 (enrollment), たいしょく退職 (retirement), しゅっさん出産 (childbirth), ひっこし引っ越し (moving), or a notable experience. It would sound unnatural to use trivial everyday events.

を機に can also appear as を機にして, with the same meaning but a slightly more formal or emphatic tone.

Related expressions

• をきっかけに is very similar and often interchangeable, but をきっかけに focuses more on the trigger that caused something, while を機に emphasizes the speaker's deliberate decision to use an event as an opportunity. With を機に, there is a stronger sense of volition – the speaker actively chose to make a change.

• を契機に (をけいきに) is a more formal synonym of を機に, commonly found in written language and news articles.