孤児
koji[ko̞ʑi]
The English word orphan is translated into Japanese as 孤児 (koji).
The term refers to a person whose parents have died.
Meaning: person whose (parent or) parents have died (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 孤, meaning 'lonely' or 'solitary' and 児, meaning 'child'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
孤児 is a formal or technical term often used in legal, journalistic or administrative contexts, such as in official documents. For more polite or euphemistic social conversations, you can use 身寄りのない子, which means 'a child with no relatives'. When discussing the subject informally, the phrase 親のいない子供 (child without parents) is also used. For a formal description of a child who has lost both parents, use 両親を亡くした子.
How do you pronounce it?
koji
Did you know?
- The native term みなしご suggests a person who has 'no one to rely on' generally, not just someone who has lost biological parents.
- The spelling of 孤児 is an example of 'jukujikun', a system where a word's reading is determined by the meaning of the kanji rather than their individual sounds.
- The phrase 身寄りのない子 literally translates through its components as 'a child with no family to rely on'.
Examples in context
- トムは孤児です。Tom is an orphan.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as an orphan using 孤児.Tatoeba #2217835 by bunbuku, translation #1868229 by CK
- 彼はその孤児を養子にした。He adopted the orphan.This sentence shows how to use 孤児 when discussing adoption.Tatoeba #112908 by bunbuku, translation #290768 by CK
- 親の亡くなった子供は「孤児」と呼ばれる。A child whose parents are dead is called an orphan.This sentence explains the definition of the term 孤児.Tatoeba #144826 by bunbuku, translation #325656 by qdii
- 彼は孤児院で育ったHe grew up in an orphanage.
- 私は両親を亡くした子に対する支援を行っていますI am providing support to children who have lost both parents.
- 彼女は親のいない子供たちをサポートしていますShe supports children without parents.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are discussing the plot of a novel.
- 蓮 Ren主人公は、幼い頃に孤児になりました。Shujinkō wa, osanai koro ni koji ni narimashita.The protagonist became an orphan when they were young.
- 陽葵 Himariそれはとても悲しい設定ですね。Sore wa totemo kanashii settei desu ne.That is a very sad setting.
- 蓮 Renでも、彼は強い絆を持つ友達に出会います。Demo, kare wa tsuyoi kizuna o motsu tomodachi ni deaimasu.But, he meets friends with whom he forms strong bonds.
- 陽葵 Himariいいお話になりそうですね。Ii ohanashi ni narisō desu ne.It sounds like it will be a good story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “orphan” translations and entries 孤児, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 孤児, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
