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知り合い (shiriai) Japanese meaning: acquaintance | Kotomora

知しり合あい

し

り

あ

い

Common word›JLPTN3›Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

Refers to a person one knows but is not necessarily close to; distinct from 友達 (friend).

彼かれは仕し事ごとの知しり合あいです。

He is a work acquaintance.

知しり合あいから紹しょう介かいしてもらった。

I was introduced by an acquaintance.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉と知しり合あいになるto become acquainted with someone
彼かれとはパーティーで知しり合あいになった。
I became acquainted with him at a party.
〈場ば所しょ〉に知しり合あいがいるto have an acquaintance in a place
東とう京きょうに知しり合あいがいるので、泊とまらせてもらった。
I have an acquaintance in Tokyo, so they let me stay over.
共きょう通つうの知しり合あいa mutual acquaintance
私わたしたちには共きょう通つうの知しり合あいが何なん人にんかいる。
We have several mutual acquaintances.

Kanji

知know, wisdom
合fit, suit, join

Related words· 8

友とも達だちN5
友達 means a friend with a closer bond, while 知り合い is just someone you know without implying closeness.
知ち人じんN3
知人 is a more formal, written-style word for an acquaintance, while 知り合い is the everyday spoken term.
面めん識しき
知り合い is a casual, general word for someone you know, while 面識 stresses the formal fact of having personally met that person.
近ちかづき
知り合い is the plain, everyday word for an acquaintance, while お近づき (from 近づき) is a polite, often formal way of referring to the act or state of becoming acquainted.

Show 4 more

顔かお見み知しり
知り合い is a general word for anyone you know, while 顔見知り specifically stresses recognizing someone by face without necessarily talking much.
ご存ぞん知じN4
知り合い is the ordinary, neutral word for an acquaintance, while ご存知 in this sense is a more polite way to refer to someone the listener knows, usually in phrases like ご存じの方.
顔かおなじみN1
知り合い is a general term for anyone you know, while 顔なじみ specifically stresses familiarity gained through seeing someone repeatedly.

Opposites

他た人にんN3
他人 refers to someone unrelated or a stranger, the opposite of 知り合い who is someone you actually know.
親しん友ゆうN4
知り合い is just an acquaintance with little emotional closeness, the opposite end of the spectrum from a 親友.

Written forms

知しり合あいUsage92%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
知しりあいUsage5%
search-only kanji form
Search-only variant; not recommended for active use.
知しり合あいUsage2%
search-only kanji form
Search-only variant; not recommended for active use.

Etymology

Compound of 知り (continuative form of 知る, 'to know') + 合い (continuative form of 合う, 'to meet'), literally 'knowing each other'.

馴な

染じ

み

知り合い refers to a person you know, while 馴染み refers to the state of being familiar with a person, place, or thing.

知しり合あい

Usage1%

search-only kanji form

Search-only variant; not recommended for active use.