恩讐

• Reading: おんしゅう
• Romaji: onshuu
• Kanji breakdown: 恩 (on) — grace, gratitude, debt of kindness; 讐 (shuu) — enemy, revenge, retaliation
• Pronunciation: /o.ɴ.ɕɯː/

Meaning

Love and hatred; gratitude and revenge. The complex intermingling of deep indebtedness and bitter enmity toward the same person or situation.

A literary and philosophical compound expressing the paradox of owing gratitude and bearing hatred simultaneously — as when one's former benefactor becomes an adversary, or vice versa. Made famous by the 1919 novel 恩讐の彼方に (Beyond Love and Hate) by Kikuchi Kan, which explores transcendence of this opposition. Common in discussions of complex moral and relational dynamics.

Examples

1. 恩讐を超えた二人の友情は、多くの人の心を打った。 The friendship between the two, which transcended love and hatred, moved many people's hearts.
2. その長編小説は、主人公の恩讐入り乱れた半生を描いている。 The epic novel depicts the protagonist's life, tangled with gratitude and revenge.
3. 戦争が終わった後も、恩讐の感情はなかなか拭えないものだ。 Even after the war ended, the intertwined feelings of indebtedness and enmity were not easily erased.

Usage Guide

Context: literature, philosophy, history, moral discourse

Tone: serious

Origin & History

Literary compound of 恩 (on, grace, indebtedness, gratitude) and 讐 (shuu, enemy, revenge). Famous especially from the 1919 novel 恩讐の彼方に by Kikuchi Kan, which explores how profound gratitude and deep hatred can coexist and ultimately be transcended.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated