約束 vs デート

[kachibi]

Hello all, how should I refer to the date between friends or relatives and the dates between lovers?

Great if someone could suggest as many words as possible.

Does that mean 約束 applies to friends and relatives while デート applies to lovers?

 

[SoLaTiDoberman]

date - WordReference 英和辞書

date: romantic meeting ---> デート　This very basic rule is applied both in English and Japanese.

Hello all, how should I refer to the meeting between friends or relatives and the meeting between lovers?

Great if someone could suggest as many words as possible.

Does that mean 約束 applies to friends and relatives while デート applies to lovers?

約束 is a promise, so "I have a promise/meeting to go out for a drink with my friends/father/lover/business clients" is translated as
友達と/お父さんと/彼女と/お客様と 飲みに出かける約束がある。
友達と/お父さんと/彼女と/お客様と 待ち合わせがある。
友達と飲み会がある。
お客様の接待がある。
会社の同僚とミーティングがある。

約束 or "promise" has much broader meening:
日米安全保障条約は国と国との約束である。
6時の門限の約束を破った罰としてスマホを親に没収された。


デート is usually used for a "romantic meeting" but sometimes a "non-romantic meeting with an opposite-gender person or a same-gender person, figuratively/commically.

男）彼女とデートがある。
女）今日は7歳になる甥っ子とデートなの。（The woman has no intension to have sex with him. She said that in a jokey way.)
女）今日はさとみとデートなの。（They can be lesbians, but generally speaking, they are just close friends.)
男）今日は教授（男または女）とデートだ。とほほ。（Sarcasm. It would definitely not be a romantic meeting.)

>Does that mean 約束 applies to friends and relatives while デート applies to lovers?
Roughly speaking, yes, in many cases.
But no, as I told you above.

 

[gengo]

Great if someone could suggest as many words as possible.

Give us an English sentence that includes "date," and we can suggest translations.

Does that mean 約束 applies to friends and relatives while デート applies to lovers?

As Sola has explained, yes, that is true in very general terms. And in the context of business, medicine, etc., 約束 can also translate to appointment, and in such cases there is another word that can be used, although it is very casual.

I have an appointment with the doctor today.
今日、医者と約束がある。
今日、医者とアポをとっている。

In some cases, "date" will translate very differently.

Ex.
He has a date with destiny.
彼には運命の出会いがある。 (there are various other possibilities here)

 

[Flaminius]

He has a date with destiny.
彼には運命の出会いがある。 (there are various other possibilities here)

The English date is デート when it means a romantic/intimate meeting with someone. Idiomatic expressions like date with destiny are translated into, well, idiomatic Japanese expressions. E.g., 正念場を迎える, 剣ヶ峰に立つ.

 

[Joschl]

I have an appointment with the doctor today.
今日、医者と約束がある。

その場合には、「約束」ではなくて、「予約」を使います。例えば、「予約する/予約を取る/入れる」と言います。

また、「約束」の代わりに「予定」を使うこともあります。例えば，「会う予定になっている」と言います。単に「会うことになっている」と言ってもOKです。

 

[gengo]

その場合には、「約束」ではなくて、「予約」を使います。

Yes, 予約 would be much more common. But the OP was asking about 約束, and I think I have heard people use it in the meaning of appointment.

 

[Joschl]

I think I have heard people use it in the meaning of appointment.

そうですか。

But the OP was asking about 約束,[...]

kachibiさんは、

Great if someone could suggest as many words as possible.

と(も)仰っているので、「約束」と「デート」だけに限る必要はないと感じています。もっとも、未だに文脈がはっきりとしていませんが...

 

[KLAUSED]

I have an appointment with the doctor today.
今日、医者と約束がある。
今日、医者とアポをとっている。

I'm with @Joschl that 約束 (or アポ) isn't used in this context.
約束 is too casual, while アポ is too business-oriented.

友達と約束がある。
A社の担当者に/とアポを取ってある。

 

[SoLaTiDoberman]

By the way, ”約束" can be used for デート (romantic meeting) in some contexts.
For example:

竹内まりや セプテンバー歌詞 - Google Search
"年上の人に逢う約束と知ってて"