子守（こもり、komori）
- babysitting

The Japanese word 子守子守, read as こもり, primarily means "childcare," "babysitting," or "looking after children." It refers to the act of caring for and supervising children, typically when their parents or guardians are unavailable. It encompasses a range of activities, including feeding, playing with, and ensuring the safety of children. It can also describe the person who performs these duties, which is "babysitter" or "childcarer."

⚫︎彼女は近所の子供たちの子守をしている。 Translation: She is babysitting the neighborhood children. ⚫︎週末は子守をお願いできますか？ Translation: Could you babysit on the weekend? ⚫︎アルバイトで子守をしています。 Translation: I am working part-time as a babysitter.

子守子守 is commonly used in everyday conversation. It can be used as a noun to refer to the act of childcare or the person providing it, or as a verb (when used with a verb such as する - to do) to indicate the action of babysitting or caring for children. It's suitable for various situations, from casual conversations with friends and family to formal requests for babysitting services.

子守子守 is typically written in kanji 子 (ko - child) and 守 (mori - to protect, guard). The reading is こもり, written in hiragana. There are no other standard ways of writing this word. The okurigana is 守.

⚫︎ベビーシッター (bebīshittā) - babysitter (loanword) ⚫︎育児 (ikuji) - childcare, child-rearing ⚫︎世話をする (sewa o suru) - to take care of (children) ⚫︎面倒を見る (mendō o miru) - to look after (children)

While there isn't a direct antonym, words or phrases that imply *not* taking care of children could be considered, depending on the context: ⚫︎放置する (hōchi suru) - to leave unattended, to neglect ⚫︎見捨てる (misuteru) - to abandon

友達に子供の子守を頼んだ。 ・Translation: I asked my friend to babysit my child. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 子守子守 to describe the act of asking someone to care for a child.

夏休みは、おばあちゃんが孫の子守をしてくれる。 ・Translation: During summer vacation, my grandmother babysits her grandchildren. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates how 子守子守 is used to indicate the role of a person providing childcare.

The kanji 子 (ko) means "child," and 守 (mori) means "to protect" or "to guard." Therefore, the word 子守子守 literally means "child protection" or "guarding children," which accurately reflects its meaning of childcare or babysitting.