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横恋慕 (よこれんぼ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
illicit love ; love for someone already in a relationship
Refers to romantic feelings directed at someone who is already married or in a committed relationship. Often carries a nuance of forbidden or one-sided love.
身み
を
滅ほろ
ぼす
こと
も
ある
。
Illicit love can sometimes ruin you.
Kanji 横 sideways, side, horizontal 恋 romance, in love, yearn for 慕 pining, yearn for, love dearly Similar words 不ふ 倫りん 不倫 refers to an extramarital affair or adultery, implying an ongoing relationship, while 横恋慕 focuses on the feeling of love itself, often one-sided and not necessarily acted upon.
片かた 思おも い 片思い is a general term for unrequited love, without the specific nuance that the object of affection is already taken. 横恋慕 always implies the person is in a relationship with someone else.
Etymology Compound of 横 (yoko, 'side; wrong') and 恋慕 (renbo, 'love; attachment'). The 横 element suggests something improper or off the correct path, giving the sense of loving someone who is 'taken' or unavailable.