How to say "bonding" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 接着せっちゃくnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbBonding of physical materials: adhering or glueing surfaces together. When you mean bonding with glue or an adhesive rather than between people, this common word is the one to reach for.
- 親近しんきんnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbEmotional bonding: becoming closer to a person, developing an affinity or familiarity. A less common word, it suits the human sense of bonding rather than any physical joining.
- nounThe loanword, matching English 'bonding' directly. It appears chiefly in specialist fields where the English term is used as-is; in everyday speech another word is usually the better choice.
- 融着ゆうちゃくnounBonding as fusion: materials melting together into one, or being joined by melting. It is really the fusing, melding sense — not glueing, and not a word for bonds between people.
- 同志愛どうしあいnounFellow feeling: the affection and solidarity felt among kindred spirits or comrades united by a shared cause. It covers only this figurative, human bonding — not physical joining or general closeness.
Choose 接着 for physical gluing, 融着 for fusing by heat, 親近 for growing closer to someone, 同志愛 for fellowship among kindred spirits, and 「ボンディング」 where the English loanword itself is current.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
