相手

• 読み: あいて
• ローマ字: aite
• 漢字の分解: 相 (ai) — mutual, together; 手 (te) — hand, person
• 発音: /a.i.te/

意味

Partner; companion; opponent; the other party. The person one is dealing with, talking to, or competing against.

A highly versatile noun whose meaning shifts with context. 相手 can mean a romantic partner (結婚相手), a conversation partner (話し相手), an opponent (試合の相手), or simply the other party in any interaction. It always implies a relationship or interaction between two sides. Common collocations include 相手にする (to deal with) and 相手の立場 (the other person's position).

例文

1. テニスの試合の相手はとても強かった。
2. 話し相手がいると寂しくない。
3. 相手の気持ちを考えることが大切だ。

使い方ガイド

場面: daily life, relationships, sports, business

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

Composed of 相 (mutual, together) and 手 (hand, person). Together they suggest the person on the other hand — the one you face or interact with.

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal