Osaka –

June 3 marks the 100th day since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine.

The conflict looks far from over, and analysts and commentators have continued to ponder, この事態からどうやって脱却できるのだろうか (Kono jitai kara dōyatte dakkyaku dekiru no darō ka, How can [we] get out of this situation)?

There is no clear answer, and 専門家はロシアのウクライナ侵攻の長期化を 懸念している (senmonka wa Roshia no Ukuraina shinkō no chōkika o kenen shite-iru, experts are concerned about a prolonged Russian invasion of Ukraine).

Initial attempts at 外交 (gaikō, diplomacy) have failed to deter Putin and it’s unclear whether 制裁 (seisai, sanctions) will be enough to stop the Russian leader.

With force seemingly the only option left, some experts have said that the war in Ukraine has now become a 我慢比べ (gaman kurabe, test of endurance), and the violence has driven many people from their homes. ウクライナから脱出した難民は 650万人を超えた (Ukuraina kara dasshutsu shita nanmin wa roppyaku gojūman-nin o koeta, [The number of] refugees who have fled from Ukraine has surpassed 6.5 million).

好ましくない場所や状態から抜け出したい気持ちは誰にでもある (Konomashikunai basho ya jōtai kara nukedashitai kimochi wa dare ni demo aru, Everyone has feelings of wanting to get away from an undesirable place or condition).

In English, “escape” can be used in a broad sense to convey the idea of wanting to “get away” from something. In Japanese, 逃げる (nigeru) is probably the most common expression for “escape” or “to run away,” but there are also several other words that can be used depending on the context, so it’s useful to be aware of the differences in nuance.

One word that you’re likely to hear in the news regarding the war in Ukraine is 脱却 (dakkyaku). It was introduced at the beginning of this piece and is used to refer to an “escape” from an undesirable condition or way of thinking, rather than a specific place: 世界的な危機を脱却する (Sekai-tekina kiki o dakkyaku suru, To escape from a global crisis).

The similar sounding 脱出 (dasshutsu), on the other hand, emphasizes an “escape” from an 好ましくない場所 (konomashikunai basho, undesirable place). This undesirability may come from the fact that the place is dangerous, as in, 燃える建物から脱出する (moeru tatemono kara dasshutsu suru, to escape from a burning building).

Yet another word for “escape” is 脱走 (dassō). It’s similar to 脱出 in that the emphasis is placed on getting out of a particular place, but the difference is that the nuance suggests the person running will face some kind of punitive action if they are caught.

For example, 軍から脱走して捕まったら、刑務所に入れられる可能性もある (gun kara dassō shite tsukamattara, keimusho ni irerareru kanōsei mo aru, if you desert from the military and are caught, there’s a possibility that you’ll be put in jail).

The kanji at the start of most of these escape terms is 脱 (datsu), which, in verb form, can be read as 脱ぐ (nugu, to remove/take off). Since we’re constantly having to remove our shoes in Japan, you’ll often hear the verb in that context, as in 靴を脱いでください (kutsu o nuide kudasai, please take off your shoes) or ここで靴を脱いだほうがいいですか (koko de kutsu o nuida hō ga ii desu ka, should I take off my shoes here)?

That said, 脱 is used in quite a few words that have to do with 経済 (keizai, economy) and 気候変動 (kikō hendō, climate change). A few key words to keep in mind include: 脱成長 (datsu seichō, degrowth), 脱原発 (datsu genpatsu, abandoning nuclear power) and 脱炭素 (datsu tanso, decarbonization).

When scanning news headlines, it’s also useful to remember that since 脱 can convey the idea of being “free” of something, you’ll sometimes see constructions such as: 脱ロシア (datsu Roshia, Russia-free), 脱プーチン (datsu Pūchin, Putin-free), 脱コロナ (datsu korona, COVID-free) or 脱マスク (datsu masuku, mask-free). In fact, a recent headline from Jiji Press reads: 日本企業「脱ロシア」の動き鈍化 (Nihon kigyō “datsu Roshia” no ugoki donka, Japanese companies’ “Russia-free” movement slowing down).

Back in Ukraine, a lot of uncertainty remains. And, 緊張が高まる中 (kinchō ga takamaru naka, as tensions continue to rise), many Ukrainians have made the difficult decision to leave. But it has also been reported that 戦争に慣れて帰国する難民もいる (sensō ni narete kikoku suru nanmin mo iru, some refugees are getting used to the war and are returning to the country).

Some seem motivated by 愛国心 (aikokushin, patriotism) and a desire to 祖国を守る (sokoku o mamoru, defend their homeland), while others simply want to reunite with their 離れ離れになった家族 (hanare-banare ni natta kazoku, family that was separated).

Whether they’re departing or returning, however, most Ukrainians just want a semblance of normalcy. Several refugees made this clear in an interview with NHK when they said: 当たり前の日常を取り戻したい (atarimae no nichijō o torimodoshitai, [I just] want to reclaim [my] normal daily life).