伴はん侶りょ

also: ばんりょ

は

ん

りょ

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

A somewhat formal or literary term for a life partner, spouse, or close companion. Often used in contexts like marriage, lifelong partnership, or poetic descriptions of a companion.

彼かの女じょは人じん生せいの伴はん侶りょとして最さい適てきな人ひとだ。
She is the ideal person as a life partner.
結けっ婚こん式しきで、二人ふたりは永えい遠えんの伴はん侶りょとなることを誓ちかった。
At the wedding, they vowed to become eternal companions.

See all 16 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉の伴はん侶りょになるto become someone's life partner
彼かれは彼かの女じょの伴はん侶りょになることを決きめた。
He decided to become her life partner.
一いっ生しょうの伴はん侶りょa lifelong partner
彼かの女じょは一いっ生しょうの伴はん侶りょを見みつけたと感かんじた。
She felt that she had found her lifelong partner.
伴はん侶りょを亡なくすto lose one's spouse (to death)
祖そ母ぼは若わかくして伴はん侶りょを亡なくした。
My grandmother lost her spouse at a young age.
良よき伴はん侶りょa good companion/spouse
彼かの女じょは彼かれにとって良よき伴はん侶りょだった。
She was a good companion for him.

Expressions

二人ふたりは伴はん侶りょ、三さん人にんは仲なか間ま割われtwo is company, three is a crowd

Kanji

伴consort, accompany, bring with
侶companion, follower

Related words

配はい偶ぐう者しゃN1
配偶者 is the neutral, legal/administrative term for one's spouse, while 伴侶 is more literary and emphasizes the emotional bond of lifelong companionship.
パートナー
パートナー is a casual loanword usable for any kind of partner (business, romantic, unmarried), whereas 伴侶 is more formal and typically implies a deep, often marital bond.
連つれ合あい
連れ合い is a homely, colloquial word for one's spouse, while 伴侶 sounds more elevated and literary.
配はい偶ぐう
伴侶 is a literary word emphasizing a life partner or companion, whereas 配偶 is a dry, bureaucratic term used in legal and statistical contexts.

Word family

伴はん侶りょ動どう物ぶつ
companion animal; pet

Written forms

伴侶Usage100%
- はんりょ
  Standard kanji form; the reading はんりょ is the modern pronunciation.
- ばんりょ
  out-dated reading
  Obsolete reading; not used in modern Japanese.
ばんりょ
out-dated reading

Etymology

Composed of 伴 (accompany) and 侶 (companion), both meaning companion. The word has been used in classical Chinese and Japanese to refer to a close associate or spouse.