遠慮（えんりょ）
JLPT N2 · noun
Pitch accent: heiban (flat) — starts low, then stays high with no drop
Meaning: restraint / reservation
Example sentences
- 遠慮なくどうぞ召し上がってください。 — Please help yourself, no need to hold back.
- 彼は遠慮がちに小さな声で話した。 — He spoke hesitantly in a quiet voice.
Idioms & proverbs containing “遠慮”
- 遠慮なければ近憂あり (えんりょなければきんゆうあり) — plan ahead or you will soon have worries
- 遠慮会釈 (えんりょえしゃく) — reserve and consideration (to others)
- 深謀遠慮 (しんぼうえんりょ) — far sight and deep design
- 遠慮近憂 (えんりょきんゆう) — failure to think of the long term leads to grief in the short term
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “遠慮” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)