腹ふく心しん

ふ

く

し

ん

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

confidant; trusted friend; trusted retainer

Refers to a person one trusts deeply and confides in, often in political, organizational, or historical contexts. Can be used attributively with の.

彼かれは社しゃ長ちょうの腹ふく心しんとして知しられている。
He is known as the president's confidant.
腹ふく心しんの部ぶ下かに重じゅう要ような任にん務むを任まかせた。
He entrusted an important mission to his trusted subordinate.

See all 13 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉の腹ふく心しんになるto become someone's trusted confidant
彼かれは社しゃ長ちょうの腹ふく心しんになった。
He became the president's trusted confidant.
腹ふく心しんとして仕つかえるto serve someone as a trusted confidant
彼かれは将しょう軍ぐんの腹ふく心しんとして仕つかえた。
He served as the shogun's trusted confidant.
〈人ひと〉を腹ふく心しんとするto treat someone as a trusted confidant
社しゃ長ちょうは古ふるくからの部ぶ下かを腹ふく心しんとしている。
The president treats his long-time subordinate as a trusted confidant.

Expressions

腹ふく心しんの友ともclose friend; trusted friend; confidant
腹ふく心しんの部ぶ下かtrusted subordinate; right-hand man; henchman

Kanji

腹abdomen, belly, stomach
心heart, mind, spirit

Related words

側そっ近きんN1
側近 emphasizes physical proximity to a powerful person (an aide or attendant), while 腹心 emphasizes deep personal trust rather than mere closeness.
親しん友ゆうN4
親友 is simply a close personal friend, whereas 腹心 implies a relationship of deep trust often tied to hierarchy or strategic confidence.
忠ちゅう臣しん
忠臣 stresses loyalty to a lord or ruler, while 腹心 stresses that the person is trusted with one's inner thoughts and secrets.
右みぎ腕うで
腹心 is a more formal, literary word for a deeply trusted confidant, while 右腕 is the everyday term for someone's top aide or right-hand man.

Etymology

Composed of 腹 (belly, heart) and 心 (heart, mind), suggesting someone in whom one can confide one's innermost thoughts. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound has been used in classical Chinese and Japanese to denote a trusted confidant.