Word
知り合い
Meaning in Englishacquaintance
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Word context
What it means
What does 知り合い mean? It denotes a person you know by social connection rather than a close friend, used to refer to someone you have met or are familiar with in everyday life.
Main meanings
- acquaintance; a person you know but not close with
- a known person within your social or professional networks
- a casual, non-intimate reference to someone you have met
How to use it
知り合い refers to a person you know but not necessarily a close friend; it is common in casual speech and expresses a lighter level of familiarity than friend terms. It can be used with の to indicate the person’s relation, and phrases like 知り合いになる describe becoming acquainted; in formal contexts or when a closer relationship is intended, 知人 or 友人 may be preferred.
Variants and close terms
- 知人 (ちじん, chijin) — acquaintance; more neutral or formal
- 友人 (ゆうじん, yūjin) — friend; closer relationship
- 同僚 (どうりょう, dōryō) — coworker; a known person from the workplace
Composition
- 知: to know
- り: continuative form linking to the next element
- 合い: from 合う meaning to meet or come together; when combined, it yields a noun indicating a mutual, recognized relationship
Word class
Noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N3
知合い
shiriai
acquaintance, someone one knows
N1
合意
goui
agreement, consent, mutual understanding
N1
合議
gougi
consultation, conference
N1
合成
gousei
synthetic, mixed
N1
結合
ketsugou
combination, union
N1
化合
kagou
chemical combination
N1
合唱
gasshou
chorus, singing in a chorus
N1
合致
gacchi
agreement, concurrence, conforming to
N1
合併
gappei
combination, amalgamation, merger
Kanji