1.
orphan
A child who has lost one or both parents, especially one who has no guardian.
戦争で孤児になった。
I became an orphan because of the war.
孤児院で育った。
I grew up in an orphanage.
震災で多くの子どもが孤児となり、支援が必要とされている。
Many children were orphaned by the earthquake disaster, and support is needed.
The standard term for an orphan in Japanese. Also read as みなしご, which is a more literary and emotional reading of the same kanji.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 孤児院 — orphanage
- 戦争孤児 — war orphan
- 孤児になる — to become an orphan
- 孤児を引き取る — to take in an orphan
READINGS:
- こじ — the standard modern reading, used in news and formal contexts
- みなしご — a native Japanese reading, more literary and emotional
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 遺児 — bereaved child (specifically a child who lost parents to disaster or accident; often used in compound 交通遺児, traffic orphan)