Widowed and lonely - Kankakodoku

Japanese: 鰥寡孤独 - かんかこどく

A lonely person with nowhere to go. He has no relatives and seems lonely.

[Example] It is not enough to implement the current national social system by establishing civil administration such as water supply, culverts, savings, etc., and by extension, by showing compassion to the poor and lonely. [Tokutomi Soho * Yoshida Shoin | 1893]

[Example] This was inspired by a story that Nobunaga heard from his missionaries, and he gathered them together to support the widowed and lonely people in his domain. [Masuji Ibuse * Karusan Yashiki | 1953]

[Explanation] It means a husband without a wife, a wife without a husband, an orphan, and an old person without children.

[Synonyms] Salmon intuition Widow mosquito Yu celebrate Germany Poison / Widow mosquito Salmon intuition Orphan child Germany Poison

Source: Dictionary of Four-character Idioms About Dictionary of Four-character Idioms Information

Japanese:

よるべのない独り者。身寄りがなく寂しい様子。

[使用例] 水道、溝渠、貯蓄等の民政を振作し、延いて鰥寡孤独を愛恤する等の自ずから現時の国家社会制を実践したるもの一にして足らず［徳富蘇峰＊吉田松陰｜1893］

[使用例] これは信長がバテレンに聞いた話から着想して、領内の鰥寡孤独の者を扶養するために寄せ集めたのである［井伏鱒二＊かるさん屋敷｜1953］

[解説] 妻のない夫（鰥）と、夫のない妻（寡）と、みなしご（孤）と、老いて子のない者（独）という意味。

[類語] 鰥かん寡か惸けい独どく／寡か鰥かん孤こ独どく

出典　四字熟語を知る辞典四字熟語を知る辞典について　情報

<<: Simplified characters - Kankaji

>>: Mount Kankake