ことよろ
Meaning: A texting abbreviation for 'best regards this year too' — short for 今年もよろしく (kotoshi mo yoroshiku).
ことよろ compresses the New Year greeting 今年もよろしくお願いします (kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu, please be kind to me this year too) into a quick four-character message. It's the kind of message blasted out to many friends at once on New Year's Day via LINE or text. The abbreviation is understood universally but is clearly casual — not for formal New Year cards.
Examples
- あけおめことよろ〜! 新年快乐,今年也请多关照~!¡Feliz año y mis mejores deseos~!아케오메 코토요로~!
- 今年もことよろ!遊ぼうね。 今年也请多关照!一起玩吧。¡Mis mejores deseos para este año también! Quedamos para hacer algo.올해도 코토요로! 같이 놀자.
- ことよろ!去年はありがとね。 今年请多关照!去年谢谢你了。¡Mis mejores deseos! Gracias por todo el año pasado.코토요로! 작년에 고마웠어.
Pronunciation
/ko.to.jo.ɾo/
Usage Guide
Context: texting, LINE, New Year greetings
Tone: festive, quick
✓ Do Say
- あけおめことよろ〜!今年も楽しもう (Happy New Year, best regards! Let's have fun this year too)新年快乐,今年也请多关照~!今年也一起开心吧(新年快乐,请多关照!今年也一起玩吧)あけおめことよろ〜!今年も楽しもう (¡Feliz Año Nuevo, mis mejores deseos! Divirtámonos también este año)아케오메 코토요로~! 올해도 즐기자 (새해 복 많이 받아, 잘 부탁해! 올해도 즐기자)
- ことよろ!また飲みに行こうね (Best regards this year! Let's go drinking again)今年请多关照!下次再一起去喝酒吧(今年请多关照!再一起去喝一杯吧)ことよろ!また飲みに行こうね (¡Mis mejores deseos para este año! Vamos a salir a tomar algo otra vez)코토요로! 또 술 마시러 가자 (올해도 잘 부탁해! 또 술 마시러 가자)
✗ Don't Say
- 上司や取引先への年賀状に「ことよろ」は失礼 (Writing 'kotoyoro' on a New Year card to your boss or business partner is rude — use 本年もよろしくお願い申し上げます)在给上司或客户的贺年卡上写'ことよろ'是很失礼的——应该使用「本年もよろしくお願い申し上げます」上司や取引先への年賀状に「ことよろ」は失礼 (Escribir 'kotoyoro' en una tarjeta de Año Nuevo para tu jefe o socio comercial es una falta de respeto — usa 本年もよろしくお願い申し上げます)상사나 거래처에 보내는 연하장에 'ことよろ'는 실례 (상사나 거래처에 보내는 연하장에 'ことよろ'라고 쓰는 것은 무례하다 — 本年もよろしくお願い申し上げます를 사용할 것)
Common Mistakes
- Using ことよろ in formal New Year's correspondence
- Using it outside of the New Year season — it's specifically a January greeting
Origin & History
An abbreviation of 今年もよろしく (kotoshi mo yoroshiku). Became widely used in the 2000s with the spread of mobile New Year's greetings. Often paired with あけおめ (short for あけましておめでとう) in the classic combo あけおめことよろ.
Cultural Context
Era: 2000s mobile New Year messaging
Generation: All ages (casual contexts)
Social background: Universal casual
Regional notes: Used across all of Japan for casual New Year greetings. The あけおめことよろ combo is iconic.
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