影響を与える

The grammar follows a very specific pattern. You use the particle ni for the target of the influence. The thing doing the influencing uses ga or wa. So, the pattern is: A ga B ni eikyou o ataeru. This literally means 'A gives influence to B'. You can use it with nouns of all kinds. For example, 'The weather influences my mood'. In Japanese: tenki ga kibun ni eikyou o ataeru. It is a 'suru' verb construction at its heart. You can change it to ataemashita for the past tense. Or use ataete-iru for an ongoing effect. It is very flexible for different sentence endings.

Use this when talking about your role models. Maybe a teacher changed how you think. Use it when discussing how movies affect society. It is perfect for professional settings too. In a meeting, talk about how prices affect sales. You can use it for health and lifestyle discussions. 'Lack of sleep influences your work performance.' It works for both positive and negative impacts. If a friend's bad habit rubs off on you, use it. If a hero inspires you to work hard, use it. It is a very versatile tool for your vocabulary.

Do not use it for direct physical force. If you hit a ball with a bat, don't use this. Use utsu or ateru for physical contact. 影響を与える is for abstract or indirect results. Don't use it for very tiny, instant actions. Turning a key to start a car isn't 'influencing' it. That is just 'starting' the car (kakeru). Also, avoid it if the change is purely visual and shallow. If you paint a wall red, you 'changed' the color. You didn't necessarily 'influence' the wall itself in a deep way.

Japanese culture places high value on social harmony. This is often called wa in Japanese. Because of this, people are very aware of others. They think about how their actions affect the group. 影響を与える reflects this deep interconnectedness. It is a staple in Japanese news and documentaries. It highlights how global events touch local lives. In schools, kids learn how historical figures influenced Japan. It is a word that connects the past to today. It shows that nothing happens in a vacuum in Japanese society.

The most important variation is 影響を受ける. This means 'to receive influence' or 'be influenced'. If a book influences you, you eikyou o ukeru. You can also add adjectives to be specific. yoi eikyou means a 'good influence'. akueikyou is a single word for 'bad influence'. Sometimes people just say eikyou suru. This is a shorter, more direct way to say it. However, 影響を与える sounds much more natural and complete. It emphasizes the 'giving' aspect of the action.