Word
知り合い
Meaning in Englishacquaintance
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Sentence
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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
N1
旧知
kyuuchi
old friend, old friendship
N1
組み合わせる
kumiawaseru
to join together, to combine, to join up
N1
問い合わせる
toiawaseru
to inquire, to seek information
N1
統合
tougou
integration, unification, synthesis
N1
合間
aima
interval
N1
合わす
awasu
to join together, to face, to unite
N1
～合せ
～awase
in all
N1
照合
shougou
check, verification
N1
総合
sougou
synthesis, generalization
Kanji