1.
reliable; dependable; someone or something you can count on
Describes a person, thing, or quality that can be trusted and relied upon. Functions as an adjectival expression modifying nouns or as a predicate.
頼りになる人だ。
He's a reliable person.
彼女はいつも頼りになる。
She is always dependable.
困ったときに頼りになるのは、やっぱり家族だ。
When you're in trouble, family is what you can really count on.
Composed of 頼り (reliance, dependence — the noun form of 頼る) + になる (to become/serve as). Literally "serves as something to rely on." One of the most common ways to express reliability in everyday Japanese.
USAGE:
Used both as a predicate (頼りになる) and as a noun modifier (頼りになる人). The negative form 頼りにならない means "unreliable" and is equally common.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 頼りになる人 — reliable person
- 頼りになる存在 — dependable presence
- 頼りになる味方 — reliable ally
- 頼りにならない — unreliable, undependable
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 信頼できる — trustworthy (more formal; emphasizes trust)
- 当てになる — can be counted on (often used in the negative: 当てにならない)
- 心強い — reassuring, encouraging (emotional sense of feeling supported)