身み寄より

み

よ

り

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

Refers to a person's relatives or family members, especially those one can rely on. Often used in contexts of having or lacking family support.

彼かれには身み寄よりが一人ひとりもいない。
He doesn't have a single relative.
身み寄よりのない老ろう人じんを支し援えんする。
Support elderly people who have no family.

See all 9 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

身み寄よりがないto have no relatives (to rely on)
彼かれは身み寄よりがなく、一人ひとりで暮くらしている。
He has no relatives and lives alone.
身み寄よりのない〈人ひと〉a person with no relatives
身み寄よりのない子こ供どもたちを支し援えんする団だん体たいがある。
There are organizations that support children who have no relatives.
〈人ひと〉の身み寄よりを探さがすto search for someone's relatives
警けい察さつは事じ故こに遭あった男だん性せいの身み寄よりを探さがしている。
The police are searching for the relatives of the man who was in the accident.

Kanji

身somebody, person, one's station in life
寄draw near, stop in, bring near

Related words

親しん戚せきN4
親戚 is the general, neutral word for 'relative', while 身寄り specifically highlights relatives one can depend on for support.
親しん類るいN3
親類 is a slightly formal synonym for 'relatives' in general, whereas 身寄り stresses the presence or absence of someone to rely on.
家か族ぞくN5
家族 means 'family' as a household unit, while 身寄り refers to individual relatives, often outside the household, who can offer support.

Don't confuse with

身み内うちN1
身内 refers to one's close inner circle of family (or trusted associates), while 身寄り focuses on relatives as a support network, often used when noting someone has none.

Counted with

人にん
Used when referring to people; for kin/family members this is not a true counting counter, so no specific conventional counter applies.

Built from

身み+寄よる

Written forms

身み寄よりUsage80%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
身みよりUsage20%
Alternate spelling using kana for 寄; less common but still encountered.
身み寄より
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

Compound of 身 (oneself, one's person) and 寄り (from 寄る, to draw near, to gather). Literally 'those who draw near to one', referring to close relatives.