Having someone's back
Idioms, Stage 2chunk 2 of 21Getting on with people
Caring about someone, urging them on and taking their side.
- ki ni kakerube concerned about, look out for (someone)literally “hang (someone) on your mind”
- senaka o osuencourage someone to go for itliterally “push someone's back”
- kata o motsutake someone's sideliterally “hold someone's shoulder”
Mix-ups ki ni kakeru (look out for someone) sounds like ki ni kakaru / ki ni suru elsewhere; senaka o osu (push them to go for it) vs kata o motsu (take their side).
ki ni kakeru
polite ki ni kakemasu
“hang (someone) on your mind”
be concerned about, look out for (someone)
Warm concern for how a person is doing, heard most as thanks: itsumo ki ni kakete kurete arigatou (thanks for always looking out for me). Not ki ni suru (mind, worry about), which is fretting over a thing.
Intransitive partner: ki ni kakaru (weigh on your mind), e.g. sore ga zutto ki ni kakatteta.
itsumo ki ni kakete kurete, arigatou ne.
Thanks for always looking out for me.
いつも気にかけてくれて、ありがとうね。
itsumo ki ni kakete itadaite, arigatou gozaimasu.
Thank you for always looking out for me.
いつも気にかけていただいて、ありがとうございます。
Written 気にかける · きにかけるHeard 276× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside atama kara hanarenai, atama ga ippaiMain list itsumo (Stage 2), -te kurete arigatou (Stage 2), kakeru (Stage 4)
senaka o osu
polite senaka o oshimasu
“push someone's back”
encourage someone to go for it
In English: give someone a push
Thanking or describing someone who gave you the courage to act, usually -te kureta: ano hito ga senaka o oshite kureta. Different from kata o motsu, which is taking someone's side in a dispute.
tomodachi ga senaka oshite kureta n da.
My friend gave me the push I needed.
友達が背中押してくれたんだ。
tomodachi ga senaka o oshite kureta n desu.
My friend gave me the push I needed.
友達が背中を押してくれたんです。
Written 背中を押す · せなかをおすHeard 14× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside kata o motsuMain list -te kureru (Stage 2)
kata o motsu
polite kata o mochimasu
“hold someone's shoulder”
take someone's side
A staple of arguments and family fights, usually a complaint about unfair favouring: dotchi no kata motsu no? (whose side are you on?). Different from senaka o osu, which is encouraging someone to act.
nande itsumo ano ko no kata motsu no?
Why do you always take her side?
なんでいつもあの子の肩持つの？
doushite itsumo ano hito no kata o motsu n desu ka?
Why do you always take her side?
どうしていつもあの人の肩を持つんですか？
Written 肩を持つ · かたをもつHeard 18× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside senaka o osuMain list motsu (Stage 1), nande (Stage 1)