相あい方かた

あ

い

か

た

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Only when written 相方

Especially common in manzai comedy for the straight man or partner, but can refer to any close companion or counterpart.

相あい方かたを務つとめるto serve as someone's (comedy) partner
彼かれは人にん気き漫まん才ざい師しの相あい方かたを務つとめている。
He serves as the partner of a popular manzai comedian.
〈人ひと〉を相あい方かたに選えらぶto choose someone as one's (comedy) partner
彼かれは幼おさななじみを相あい方かたに選えらんで漫まん才ざいを始はじめた。
He chose his childhood friend as his partner and started doing manzai.
相あい方かたとコンビを組くむto form a duo with one's partner
二人ふたりは高こう校こう時じ代だいの相あい方かたとコンビを組くんでいる。
The two of them form a duo with the partner they've had since high school.

相あい棒ぼう sense 1
相棒 is the everyday, general word for a buddy or partner (used for work, police duos, etc.), while 相方 is specifically tied to manzai comedy duos or a chosen companion.
パートナー sense 1
パートナー is a modern loanword for a partner in business, dance, or relationships, whereas 相方 carries a strong association with manzai comedy pairs.
女にょう房ぼう役やく sense 1
女房役 describes someone who quietly supports a leading figure (like a catcher backing a pitcher), while 相方 is the neutral term for one's manzai or duo partner without implying a supporting role.
コンビ
相方 refers to one's specific partner (especially in a comedy duo or dance), whereas コンビ refers to the pair as a unit.

相あい手てN4
相手 broadly means 'the other party' in any interaction (an opponent, customer, etc.), while 相方 specifically means a fixed partner such as one's manzai duo partner or a companion for the evening.
相あい棒ぼう
相方 and 相棒 look and sound similar and both mean 'partner', but 相方 is used especially for a comedy duo or dance partner while 相棒 is broader and often implies detective- or crime-story camaraderie.

名めいN2
Used when referring to a person in a formal or countable setting, but for 相方 this is not the usual everyday counter.

Compound of 相 (mutual) and 方 (person/direction), literally 'the other party'. The reading あいかた is a kun'yomi compound.