惜別

• 読み: せきべつ
• ローマ字: sekibetsu
• 漢字の分解: 惜 (seki/oshi) — to regret, be reluctant; 別 (betsu/waka) — separation, parting
• 発音: /se̞kibe̞tsɯ/

意味

Reluctant parting; regret at separation; sorrow at saying farewell to someone dear, especially when the parting feels premature or final.

A formal, literary noun. Conveys the emotional pain of separation — particularly when parting with someone loved or highly valued. Commonly appears in formal farewell contexts: retirement parties, graduation ceremonies, funeral eulogies. The phrase 惜別の情 (sekibetsu no jō — feelings of regretful parting) is a fixed expression in written Japanese. Not used casually; it elevates the act of parting to something deeply felt.

例文

1. 長年お世話になった上司の退職を、惜別の情を込めて見送った。
2. 卒業式では、学生たちが惜別の涙を流しながら別れを告げた。
3. 故郷を離れる日、彼は胸に迫る惜別の思いを抑えられなかった。

使い方ガイド

場面: farewell ceremonies, graduation, retirement, literature

トーン: melancholic

起源と歴史

Compound of 惜 (oshi — to regret, be reluctant to part with) and 別 (betsu/waka — separation, parting). The combination precisely captures the emotion of regretting an impending or completed separation.

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal