Japanese word

身辺

Pronunciation

Romajishinpen

Meaning

  • nounone's surroundings

Example

外出中は身辺に気をつけます。gai shutsu chū wa shin pen ni ki o tsu ke ma su

I stay alert to my surroundings when I am out.

Illustration for 身辺 (one's surroundings)

More examples

最近は身辺が少し落ち着いてきました。sai kin wa shin pen ga suko shi o chi tsu i te ki ma shi ta

My personal affairs have settled down a little lately.

Core concept

Centers on the area and circumstances immediately connected to a person, covering both the space around them and their personal affairs.

Common phrases

  • 身辺に気をつけるshin pen ni ki o tsu ke ru

    watch one's surroundings

  • 身辺の安全shin pen no an zen

    personal safety

Similar words

身の回りminomawari: The things, place, and circumstances closely connected to a person's daily life.
周囲shūi: The area and people around a person or place.
周辺shūhen: The area around a particular person, place, or subject.

Definition in Japanese

自分の周囲や、そこに関わる個人的な事柄。ji bun no shū i ya so ko ni kaka wa ru ko jin teki na koto gara

Word origin

The word 身辺 (shinpen) combines 身 (shin, "body") and 辺 (hen, "area or vicinity"), giving the sense of what surrounds and concerns a person.

Usage tips

  • In modern Japanese, 身辺 (shinpen) is more common in fixed expressions than as a standalone noun, which gives it a formal tone.

Other meanings

  • personal affairsnoun

Word lists with this word