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同病相憐れむ (どうびょうあいあわれむ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, godan verb (-mu)
fellow sufferers pity each other
proverb
Proverb meaning that people with the same hardship or illness sympathize with one another. Often used to express mutual understanding among those in similar difficult situations.
See also: 相憐れむ
た
。
As fellow sufferers pity each other, people with the same illness quickly became comfortable with one another.
Written forms 同どう 病びょう 相あい 憐あわ れむ
Standard kanji spelling for this proverb.
同どう 病びょう 相あい 哀あわ れむ
Variant kanji spelling using 哀 instead of 憐; both are seen.
Kanji 相 inter-, mutual, together 憐 pity, have mercy, sympathise Etymology Derived from classical Chinese; the exact origin is uncertain, but it is a well-known proverb in Japanese. The kanji 同病 means 'same illness', 相 means 'mutual', and 憐れむ means 'to pity'.
