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ねんごろ Japanese meaning | Kotomora

ねんごろ

also: ねもころ

ね

ん

ご

ろ

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective

kind; courteous; hospitable; warmly respectful

usually written using kana alone

Describes a warm, considerate, and polite attitude or treatment, often in social or service contexts.

彼かれはいつもねんごろな対たい応おうをしてくれる。
He always treats me with warm courtesy.

ねんごろなおもてなしに感かん謝しゃします。

I appreciate your kind hospitality.

2

na-adjective

intimate; close

usually written using kana alone

Often used in the set phrase ねんごろになる meaning 'to become intimate' or 'to get close', sometimes with a romantic or sexual implication.

See also: 懇ろになる

二人ふたりは次し第だいにねんごろになった。
The two gradually became intimate.

3

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

becoming intimate; intimate relationship

archaicusually written using kana alone

Archaic noun and suru-verb usage; refers to the act of becoming close or having an intimate relationship, sometimes specifically a homosexual one in historical contexts.

古ふるい文ぶん献けんでは、ねんごろを結むすぶという表ひょう現げんが見みられる。
In old texts, the expression ねんごろを結ぶ (to form an intimate bond) can be found.

Written forms

ねんごろUsage74%
Kana spelling is standard for all senses; usually written in kana.
懇ろUsage26%
- ねんごろ
  Kanji spelling with standard okurigana; less common than kana but still encountered.
- ねもころ
  out-dated reading
懇
irregular okurigana
- ねんごろ
  Irregular okurigana usage; the kanji alone is read as ねんごろ. Rare and not recommended for learners.
- ねもころ
  out-dated reading
ねもころ
out-dated reading
Obsolete kana form; historical reading preserved in older texts.

Kanji

懇sociable, kind, courteous

Similar words

親しん切せつ
親切 is the common word for 'kind' or 'helpful'; ねんごろ implies a deeper, warmer, and more respectful courtesy, often in formal or heartfelt situations.
丁てい寧ねい
丁寧 focuses on politeness and carefulness; ねんごろ adds a layer of warmth and personal consideration beyond mere formality.
親しん密みつ
親密 is a straightforward term for 'close' or 'intimate'; ねんごろ in the intimate sense often appears in the phrase ねんごろになる and can carry a slightly old-fashioned or euphemistic tone.

Etymology

Derived from the classical Japanese adjective ねもころ (nemokoro), meaning 'careful' or 'thorough'. The modern form ねんごろ is a sound shift from ねもころ. The exact origin of ねもころ is uncertain, but it may be related to the root ね (ne, 'root' or 'core') and ころ (koro, 'around' or 'thoroughly').