Word
心強い
Meaning in Englishheartening, reassuring
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 心強い mean? It means feeling reassured or confident because of support, reliability, or favorable circumstances. For English speakers, it describes a mental state of strength and calm derived from trustworthy help or a solid ally.
Main meanings
- reassuring or comforting, describing something that gives you confidence
- a person described as reliable and supportive, someone you can count on
- a mood or state of mental strength derived from support or protection
- used to describe situations that provide emotional steadiness or practical backing
How to use it
Used primarily as an i-adjective in both spoken and written Japanese; before a noun, it forms compounds like 心強い味方, and predicatively with だ/です in sentences. In casual speech you might say 心強いね, while in formal writing you can use 心強い状況だ to describe a scenario.
Variants and close terms
- 頼もしい (tanomoshii) — reliable
- 安心できる (anshin dekiru) — can feel at ease
- 心細い (kokorobosoi) — opposite, anxious
Composition
- 心: heart, mind; 感情の中心を表す
- 強い: strong
- 心強い: the combination expresses inner strength reinforced by external support
Word class
Adjective (イ形容詞)
Related words by kanji and components
N1
心地
kokochi
feeling, sensation, mood
N1
心得
kokoroe
knowledge, information
N1
心掛け
kokorogake
readiness, intention, aim
N1
心掛ける
kokorogakeru
to bear in mind, to aim to do
N1
心細い
kokorobosoi
helpless, hopeless, discouraging
N1
強いて
shiite
to dare, to insist
N1
強いる
shiiru
to force, to compel, to coerce
N1
内心
naishin
innermost thoughts, real intention, inmost heart
N1
一心
isshin
one mind, with rapt attention