寄り添う

• 読み: よりそう
• ローマ字: yorisou
• 漢字の分解: 寄 (ki/yoru) — to draw near, to approach; 添 (ten/sou) — to accompany, to be alongside
• 発音: /jo.ɾi.so.ɯ/

意味

To snuggle up to; to nestle close; to stand by someone in support. Conveys both physical closeness and emotional solidarity.

A Group 1 (godan) compound verb from 寄る (to draw near) and 添う (to accompany, to be at someone's side). While the literal image is of two bodies drawing close together, the dominant usage is figurative — offering empathetic support to someone in pain, grief, or difficulty. It implies gentle, sustained presence rather than active intervention.

例文

1. 悲しみにくれる友人に寄り添うことしか、その時はできなかった。
2. 看護師は患者に寄り添いながら、丁寧にケアを続けた。
3. 市民の声に寄り添った政策こそが、本当の行政だと思う。

使い方ガイド

場面: care, support, relationships, nursing, policy, grief

トーン: warm

起源と歴史

Compound of 寄る (yoru — to draw close, to approach) and 添う (sou — to accompany, to be alongside). The 添う component carries a classical nuance of faithfully remaining by another's side, as in marriage vows (連れ添う — to be lifelong partners).

文化的背景

時代: Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: General