誇り
ほこり
hokori
= pride (in the dignified sense)
誇り (hokori) is pride in its finest sense — the quiet dignity of valuing what you do and who you are. It’s the pride a craftsman takes in flawless work or a parent feels for a child, and it sits worlds apart from mere boasting.
誇り comes from the verb 誇る (hokoru) and names a positive, self-respecting pride. The core patterns are 誇りを持つ (hokori wo motsu, ‘to take pride in’) and 誇りに思う (hokori ni omou, ‘to be proud of’): 仕事に誇りを持つ (to take pride in one’s work), 息子を誇りに思う (to be proud of one’s son). It implies dignity and worth, not showing off.
That distinction matters, because Japanese has other ‘pride’ words with different flavors. 自慢 (jiman) is boasting or showing off — it can be obnoxious, as in 自慢話 (a bragging story). The loanword プライド (puraido) often points to ego or stubborn self-regard; プライドが高い (‘has high pride’) can be a criticism that someone is too proud to apologize. Against these, 誇り is the noble one: inner, dignified, and admired.
The verb 誇る also has a neutral, almost promotional use meaning ‘to boast (a feature)’: 世界に誇る技術 (technology Japan can be proud of before the world), 長い歴史を誇る店 (a shop boasting a long history). Here nothing negative is implied — it simply highlights something genuinely worth being proud of.
Don’t mix up 誇り (dignified pride) with 自慢 (bragging). Taking 誇り in your work is admirable; 自慢 about it to everyone is not, so choosing the wrong one can flip your meaning from noble to boastful.
Be careful with プライド too — because it often implies ego, プライドが高い leans negative, while 誇りが高い is unusual; stick to 誇りを持つ / 誇りに思う for the good kind of pride.
Watch the homophone: 埃, also read hokori, means ‘dust’. 誇り (pride) and 埃 (dust) sound identical, so 部屋のほこり is dust in the room, not the room’s pride — context and kanji keep them apart.
Formal / Cultural context
彼は自分の仕事に強い誇りを持っている。
Kare wa jibun no shigoto ni tsuyoi hokori wo motte iru.
He takes strong pride in his own work.
Casual / Social Media
娘が夢を叶えて、心から誇りに思う。
Musume ga yume wo kanaete, kokoro kara hokori ni omou.
My daughter achieved her dream, and I’m truly proud of her.
Everyday use
この町は、世界に誇るお祭りで有名です。
Kono machi wa, sekai ni hokoru omatsuri de yuumei desu.
This town is famous for a festival it can proudly show the world.
誇り is bound up with the celebrated ethic of the 職人 (shokunin), the craftsperson who devotes a lifetime to mastering a trade. A sushi chef, a knife maker, or a textile dyer taking deep 誇り in their craft — refusing to cut corners because their name and dignity are in the work — is a widely admired ideal, and the word captures that fusion of skill, identity, and self-respect.
The concept also carries a strong sense of honor and belonging. People speak of 誇り in their hometown, their company, or their country, and the phrase 世界に誇る (‘something to be proud of before the world’) is a common, warmly patriotic way to present anything from technology to cuisine. This is pride as connection to a group, not just personal ego.
It is worth noticing how Japanese culture separates this dignified 誇り from open boasting. Modesty is highly valued, so the admired figure holds quiet 誇り internally rather than trumpeting 自慢 outward. The two kanji-free homophones — 誇り (pride) and 埃 (dust) — are a favorite for wordplay precisely because one stands for what elevates a person and the other for what should be swept away.