おんぶに抱だっこ

Meanings

relying completely on others; being totally dependent

Idiomatic expression literally meaning 'piggyback and hug'; used to describe a situation where someone depends entirely on another person for everything, often with a negative or critical tone.

彼かれは親おやにおんぶに抱だっこで、自じ分ぶんでは何なにもしない。
He relies completely on his parents and does nothing for himself.
いつまでもおんぶに抱だっこではいられないよ。
You can't keep depending on others forever.

Kanji

抱embrace, hug, hold in arms
負defeat, negative, -

Related words

おんぶ
Means 'piggyback ride' or 'carrying on one's back'; used literally or figuratively for relying on someone, but less emphatic than the full idiom.
抱だっこ
Means 'hug' or 'carrying in one's arms'; often used for children. The idiom combines both to emphasize total dependence.

Written forms

おんぶに抱だっこ
Common kana-kanji mixed spelling; the kanji 抱 is standard for だっこ.
負おんぶに抱だっこ
Rare kanji spelling using 負 for おんぶ; learners are unlikely to encounter this form.

Etymology

Compound of おんぶ (piggyback) and 抱っこ (hug, carrying in arms), both child-rearing terms. The idiom figuratively extends the image of a child being carried in every way to describe complete dependence on others.