歓かん心しんを買かう

Meanings

1

expression, godan verb (-u)

curry favor; win someone's favor; ingratiate oneself

Often implies trying to gain goodwill through flattery or pleasing actions. Used in both personal and professional contexts.

彼かれは上じょう司しの歓かん心しんを買かおうと、いつもお世せ辞じを言いっている。
He is always flattering his boss to curry favor.

新しん人じんは先せん輩ぱいの歓かん心しんを買かうために、積せっ極きょく的てきに手伝てつだいを申もうし出でた。

The newcomer actively offered to help in order to win the senior colleague's favor.

Written forms

歓かん心しんを買かう
Standard kanji spelling using 歓心 (favor, goodwill).
関かん心しんを買かう
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; 関心 normally means 'interest', but here it is used for 'favor'. Not recommended for learners.

Kanji

歓delight, joy
心heart, mind, spirit
買buy
関connection, barrier, gateway

Similar words

ご機き嫌げんを取とる
Similar meaning of trying to please someone, but ご機嫌を取る focuses more on improving someone's mood, while 歓心を買う emphasizes gaining long-term favor or goodwill.
取とり入いる
Means to ingratiate oneself, often with a nuance of cunning or insincerity. 歓心を買う is more neutral and can be used in straightforward efforts to be liked.

Etymology

The phrase combines 歓心 (favor, goodwill) with 買う (to buy), literally 'to buy favor'. The kanji 歓 is associated with joy and pleasure, and the expression has been used since at least the Edo period.