bystander, side, besides, while

About this kanji

The kanji 「傍」 primarily means 'side' or 'beside', and it's often used in contexts where something is nearby or alongside something else. It's mainly a noun, but it can also appear in verbs. Some common compounds include 傍観 (ぼうかん), which means 'looking on' or 'standing by', and 傍聴 (ぼうちょう), meaning 'listening' as in attending a lecture or session. Another example is 傍ら (かたわら), which translates to 'beside' or 'at one's side'. A quick usage note is that while this kanji generally conveys the idea of proximity or presence, it's often used in formal or more abstract situations.

Example sentences

• 傍にいてくれる友達が大切だ。

  Friends who stay beside me are precious.

Meanings across languages

English

bystander, side, besides, while, nearby, third person

Tiếng Việt

bên cạnh

日本語

傍ら

한국어

옆

中文

傍

id

penonton

th

ผู้สังเกต

es

espectador

fr

spectateur

de

Zuschauer

pt

espectador

Common compounds

• 傍観ぼうかんlooking on, standing by and watching, sitting back and watching
• 傍聴ぼうちょうlistening (to a lecture, hearing, parliament session, etc.), attending (without participating), sitting in (e.g. on a meeting)
• 傍らかたわらside, edge, beside
• 傍受ぼうじゅinterception, monitoring, tapping
• 路傍ろぼうroadside
• 傍若無人ぼうじゃくぶじんbehaving outrageously as though there were no one around, acting without consideration for others, arrogance
• 傍目おかめlooking on from the side, looking on by an outsider
• 近傍きんぼうneighborhood, neighbourhood, vicinity