思いやり
おもいやり
omoiyari
= empathy / consideration for others
Omoiyari (思いやり) describes the quiet act of placing yourself inside another person’s experience — anticipating what they feel or need before they say a word. Unlike the English word “empathy,” which centers on understanding emotions, omoiyari demands that understanding translate into thoughtful action.
At its core, omoiyari is the capacity to imagine another person’s situation and then respond with care. The verb form, omoiyaru (思いやる), literally means “to send one’s thoughts toward someone,” and that directionality matters: omoiyari flows outward, from self to other, and it does not wait to be asked.
In casual contexts, you might describe a friend who brings you tea when you look tired as someone who has omoiyari. In formal or professional settings — a manager who notices a team member is overwhelmed and quietly reassigns work without embarrassing them — the same quality is at play. The register of the word itself is neutral, fitting everyday conversation and formal writing equally well.
Where English “sympathy” implies feeling sorry for someone, and “consideration” can mean simply not causing inconvenience, omoiyari goes further: it requires actively picturing the other person’s inner state, including emotions they have not expressed, and then acting on that picture. This is why Japanese speakers sometimes say omoiyari cannot be fully captured by any single English word — it bundles perception, imagination, and compassionate action into one concept.
Learners often confuse omoiyari with 共感 (kyokan), the more direct translation of “empathy” borrowed into modern Japanese from psychology and counseling language. Kyokan describes the shared emotional resonance itself; omoiyari describes the considerate behavior that grows from it. You feel kyokan; you show omoiyari.
Omoiyari is closely linked to 察する (sassuru), the ability to read an unspoken situation. In Japanese social contexts, expressing every need explicitly can sometimes feel burdensome to others, so a person with omoiyari is skilled at sassuru — noticing what is needed without being told. If you praise someone by saying 思いやりのある人ですね (Omoiyari no aru hito desu ne — “You’re a person with omoiyari”), it is a sincere compliment about their sensitivity and generosity of spirit. Avoid using it sarcastically, as the word carries genuine warmth and the irony can land awkwardly.
The word is written with two kanji followed by the hiragana ending やり. The first character, 思 (omoi), means “thought” or “feeling” and is itself composed of 田 (field, representing the heart’s capacity) over 心 (heart/mind). The second character, い, here functions as part of the verb stem おもいやる (omoiyaru), where やる (yaru) means “to do” or “to send forth.” Together, 思いやる captures the image of sending one’s heartfelt thoughts outward toward another person. The noun 思いやり is formed by attaching the nominalizing suffix り to the verb stem, making “the act of sending one’s heart toward others” into a standalone concept.
Everyday use
彼女はいつも相手の気持ちを先に考える。本当に思いやりのある人だと思う。
Kanojo wa itsumo aite no kimochi o saki ni kangaeru. Honto ni omoiyari no aru hito da to omou.
She always thinks about the other person’s feelings first. I truly think she is someone with genuine omoiyari.
Casual / Social Media
友だちが落ち込んでいるのに気づいて、何も言わずにそっとコーヒーを買ってきてくれた。思いやりって大事だなとあらためて感じた。
Tomodachi ga ochikonde iru no ni kidzuite, nani mo iwazu ni sotto kohi o katte kite kureta. Omoiyari tte daiji da na to aratamete kanji ta.
She noticed I was feeling down and quietly brought me a coffee without saying anything. It reminded me how important omoiyari really is.
Formal / Cultural context
学校教育において思いやりの心を育てることは、知識の習得と同様に重要とされています。
Gakko kyoiku ni oite omoiyari no kokoro o sodateru koto wa, chishiki no shutoku to dojo ni juyo to sarete imasu.
In school education, nurturing a spirit of omoiyari is considered just as important as the acquisition of knowledge.
Omoiyari occupies a central place in Japanese moral education (道徳教育, dotoku kyoiku). Since the 1950s, Japanese elementary and middle schools have included dotoku as a curriculum subject, and omoiyari consistently appears among its core values. Children are taught not only to understand their own feelings but to pause and ask what the person in front of them might be experiencing. This educational emphasis helps explain why omoiyari feels, to many Japanese adults, less like a personality trait and more like a practiced skill — something that can be cultivated through attention and repetition.
Omoiyari is often discussed alongside omotenashi (おもてなし), Japan’s renowned spirit of hospitality. Both concepts involve anticipating another person’s needs, but they differ in scope: omotenashi typically describes the service relationship between host and guest, while omoiyari extends across all human relationships — between friends, strangers on a crowded train, or colleagues in a meeting room. A hotel staff member who silently refills your water glass without interrupting your conversation is practicing omotenashi; your coworker who emails you a document before you realize you need it is showing omoiyari. Together, the two concepts sketch a cultural ideal in which care for others is built into daily life as an ongoing, unspoken commitment.