毛並(けな)み

けなみ
noun
coat, fur; pedigree, background
animal-generalappearanceperson
1. coat; fur; the lie of an animal's hair
The hair covering an animal, seen as a surface with a texture, color, and direction. Used when praising or assessing how an animal's coat looks.
猫(ねこ)の毛並(けな)みがきれいだ。
The cat's coat is beautiful.
毛並(けな)みに沿(そ)ってブラシをかける。
Brush along the lie of the fur.
よく世話(せわ)をされている馬(うま)は、毛並(けな)みのつやが違(ちが)う。
A well-cared-for horse has a noticeably glossier coat.
2. pedigree; family background; breeding
A person's lineage or social background, judged as if it were an animal's coat. Almost always in 毛並(けな)みがいい, which can be admiring or faintly sarcastic depending on tone.
彼(かれ)は毛並(けな)みがいい。
He comes from a good family.
毛並(けな)みのよさだけで選(えら)ばれたわけではない。
He wasn't chosen just for his pedigree.
毛並(けな)みのいい政治家(せいじか)ばかりが並(なら)ぶ顔(かお)ぶれに、有権者(ゆうけんしゃ)は冷(つめ)たかった。
Voters were cold toward a lineup made up entirely of politicians from privileged backgrounds.

毛(け) (hair) + 並(な)み (the way things are lined up): how the hair lies. Sense 2 extends the same image to people.

Common collocations

Usage

  • Sense 2 is used of people only in the 毛並(けな)みがいい / 毛並(けな)みのいい pattern. It carries a whiff of the racehorse or show dog, so it can sound admiring or mildly mocking; it is not a neutral way to describe someone's family.
general
Added 2026.8.10 9:22 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
30500/30529_kenami