誇り（ほこり、hokori）
- pride

The Japanese word 誇り (ほこり, *hokori*) primarily means "pride," "self-esteem," "honor," or "boast." It represents a feeling of deep satisfaction derived from one's achievements, qualities, or the achievements or qualities of someone or something associated with you. It can also refer to something to be proud of, a source of pride. The core meaning centers around a sense of worth and value.

⚫︎日本人の誇り Translation: The pride of the Japanese. ⚫︎彼女は自分の仕事に誇りを持っている。 Translation: She has pride in her work. ⚫︎それは私の誇りです。 Translation: That is my pride.

You can use 誇り in a variety of situations to express pride or identify something as a source of pride. It's often used when talking about accomplishments, personal qualities, family, heritage, or national identity. The nuance can vary depending on context, ranging from a quiet sense of satisfaction to a more outspoken expression of honor.

誇り is written in kanji as 誇り. The reading is ほこり in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana is standard and does not have variations. The stem form is 誇(ほこ).

⚫︎ 自負 (じふ, *jifu*) - self-confidence, self-esteem. ⚫︎ 自尊心 (じそんしん, *jisonshin*) - self-respect, self-esteem. ⚫︎ 名誉 (めいよ, *meiyo*) - honor, reputation. ⚫︎ 栄誉 (えいよ, *eiyo*) - honor, glory.

⚫︎ 屈辱 (くつじょく, *kutsujoku*) - humiliation, disgrace. ⚫︎ 恥 (はじ, *haji*) - shame, disgrace. ⚫︎ 劣等感 (れっとうかん, *rettoukan*) - inferiority complex.

彼は自分のチームの勝利に誇りを感じた。 ・Translation: He felt pride in his team's victory. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the use of 誇り to express the feeling of pride in an achievement, specifically a team's win.

彼女は自分の文化遺産に誇りを持っている。 ・Translation: She takes pride in her cultural heritage. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates 誇り being used to convey a sense of pride related to one's cultural background.

The kanji 誇 means "to boast" or "to be proud". It is composed of the radical 言 (speech) and the phonetic component 瓜 (melon or gourd) which contributes to the sound. The combination of these parts likely evolved to capture the sense of speaking highly of oneself or one's achievements.