孤児

• Reading: こじ
• Romaji: koji
• Kanji breakdown: 孤 (ko) — alone, orphaned; 児 (ji) — child
• Pronunciation: /ko.dʑi/

Meaning

Orphan. A child who has lost both parents or has been abandoned.

A noun (also used as a no-adjective) referring to a child without parents. Used in social welfare, literature, and historical contexts. Common collocations include 戦争孤児 (war orphan), 孤児院 (orphanage), and 孤児になる (to become an orphan). Can also be read as みなしご in more literary or traditional contexts. Sometimes used metaphorically to describe someone cut off from social support.

Examples

1. 戦争で多くの孤児が生まれた。 The war left many orphans in its wake.
2. 彼女は孤児院で育った経験を語った。 She spoke about her experience growing up in an orphanage.
3. 震災後に孤児となった子どもたちを支援する活動がある。 There are activities to support children who were orphaned by the earthquake.

Usage Guide

Context: social welfare, literature, history

Tone: solemn

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 孤 (ko, alone/orphaned) + 児 (ji, child). 孤 depicts a melon (瓜) and a child (子), symbolising a small, isolated being. Can also be read as みなしご in native Japanese.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal