Translation guide
To value something or someone deeply, to cherish, or to keep close to one's heart. This concept is expressed in Japanese through verbs and adjectives that convey emotional attachment, importance, and treasuring.
Expressing that you deeply value and care for someone or something, often with emotional warmth.
The most common and versatile way to say 'hold dear' or 'cherish'. It can be used for people, memories, objects, and abstract things.
家族を大切にしています。
I hold my family dear.
I want to hold this memory dear forever.
Very similar to 大切にする, but can sound slightly more practical or less emotionally charged. Often used for taking good care of things.
友達を大事にしなさい。
You should hold your friends dear.
A literary and emotional word meaning to hold dear with deep affection, often used for children, lovers, or fleeting moments.
彼女は子供を愛おしむように抱きしめた。
She held her child dear, embracing them tenderly.
Expressing that you hold something in high regard, such as a principle, quality, or abstract ideal.
To value or respect something highly, often used for abstract concepts like tradition, harmony, or discipline.
彼は礼儀を重んじる。
He holds courtesy dear.
To hold something in high esteem, often with a sense of reverence. Used for values, traditions, or noble qualities.
To hold something privately and preciously within oneself, like a secret or a heartfelt memory.
Literally 'to keep hidden in one's chest/heart'. Used for feelings, secrets, or memories that one holds dear but does not reveal.
その言葉を胸に秘めて生きてきた。
I have lived holding those words dear in my heart.
Literally 'to engrave on one's heart'. Used for something you hold dear and will never forget.
先生の教えを心に刻んでいます。
I hold my teacher's words dear, engraved in my heart.
この国では自由が尊ばれている。
In this country, freedom is held dear.