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骨身にしみる (ほねみにしみる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, ichidan verb
feel keenly ; strike to the core ; hit home
Used when an experience, remark, or lesson deeply affects one emotionally or mentally, as if piercing to the bone. Often appears with words like 言葉, 教訓, 批判, or 寒さ.
けん
が
骨ほね
身み
に
しみ
て
、
もう
同おな
じ
ミス
は
し
ない
。
The experience of failure hit home, and I won't make the same mistake again.
2
expression, ichidan verb
pierce deep inside (of cold)
Specifically for cold or physical sensations that penetrate deeply into the body, as if reaching the bones. Often used with 寒さ, 冷たさ, or 冷気.
Written forms 骨ほね 身み にしみる
Standard kana-mixed spelling for the expression; the verb しみる is usually written in kana in this phrase.
骨ほね 身み に 沁し みる
Kanji 沁みる emphasizes the emotional or psychological piercing quality.
骨ほね 身み に 染し みる
Kanji 染みる suggests something soaking in deeply, often used for cold or physical sensations.
Kanji 身 somebody, person, one's station in life Similar words 身み にしみる A broader expression meaning to feel something deeply, either emotionally or physically. 骨身にしみる is more intense, emphasizing a piercing sensation that reaches the very core or bones.
心こころ にしみる Focuses on emotional impact, often with a nuance of being moved or touched. 骨身にしみる can be used for both emotional and physical deep penetration, and carries a stronger, more visceral connotation.
Etymology Compound of 骨身 (bone and flesh, i.e., the body's core) + に + しみる (to soak in, pierce). The expression figuratively describes something penetrating to the very marrow, whether a physical sensation like cold or an emotional realization.
