Meaning
頼 covers four closely connected ideas: relying on someone, making a request, trusting, and depending on another person. In everyday Japanese it surfaces constantly — asking a friend for a small favor, entrusting a colleague with an important task, or calling someone dependable.
Etymologically, 頼 pairs the radical 頁 (head/page) with the component 剌, which historically suggested a sharp or piercing quality. 頁 evokes bowing one's head toward another — a gesture deeply embedded in Japanese culture as a sign of respect, gratitude, and supplication. That lowered head carries real vulnerability: you are placing yourself in someone else's hands, which maps directly onto this kanji's meaning.
At 16 strokes, 頼 is a Grade 8 jōyō kanji taught at high school level and required for JLPT N2. Learners at this stage must know both its readings and its key compounds. Vietnamese learners will recognize it through the Hán-Việt reading LẠI, found in words related to dependence and trust.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is ライ (RAI), used mainly in Sino-Japanese compounds and formal writing. You'll encounter it most often in shinrai (trust) and irai (formal request).
- 依頼 (irai) — a formal request, a commission; used when asking someone professionally to do something on your behalf
- 信頼 (shinrai) — trust, confidence, reliability; a deep, established faith in a person or institution
- 無頼 (burai) — ruffian, scoundrel; someone who rejects social norms and lives lawlessly
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi are たの.む (tanomu), たの.もしい (tanomoshii), and たよ.る (tayoru). Each carries a distinct shade of reliance and trust.
たのむ (tanomu) means to ask someone a favor, make a request, or count on someone for help. It's the most common of the three and turns up in casual conversation every day.
- 頼む (tanomu) — to ask, to request, to beg
- 頼み (tanomi) — a request, a favor asked of someone
- 頼み込む (tanomikomu) — to beg earnestly, to press someone with a request
たのもしい (tanomoshii) is an adjective meaning dependable, reliable, or reassuring. It describes a person or situation that inspires confidence.
- 頼もしい (tanomoshii) — reliable, reassuring, dependable
- 頼もしさ (tanomoshisa) — dependability, the quality of being reliable
たよる (tayoru) means to depend on, lean on, or turn to someone for support. It often carries an emotional undertone of needing another person to get through something.
- 頼る (tayoru) — to rely on, to depend on
- 頼り (tayori) — support, reliance; something or someone to lean on
- 頼りない (tayorinai) — unreliable, helpless, lacking dependability
Common Words & Compounds
Below are the most useful compounds, grouped by meaning.
Requesting & Asking:
- 依頼 (irai) — formal request, commission (e.g., asking a lawyer or professional)
- 頼む (tanomu) — to ask, to request (everyday informal)
- 頼み事 (tanomigoto) — a favor, something one wishes to ask of another
- 頼み込む (tanomikomu) — to earnestly beg, to press a request
Trust & Reliability:
- 信頼 (shinrai) — trust, confidence, reliance
- 信頼性 (shinraisei) — reliability, trustworthiness (often used in tech/engineering)
- 頼もしい (tanomoshii) — dependable, reassuring
Depending & Leaning On:
- 頼る (tayoru) — to rely on, to depend on
- 頼り (tayori) — support, a person/thing one can lean on
- 頼りがい (tayorigai) — worth depending on, value as a support
- 頼りにする (tayori ni suru) — to count on someone, to rely on
- 頼りない (tayorinai) — unreliable, wishy-washy, lacking backbone
Negative / Other:
- 無頼 (burai) — ruffian, scoundrel, someone who lives lawlessly
- 無頼漢 (buraikan) — a thug, a ruffian, an unscrupulous person
Example Sentences
友達に手伝いを頼んだ。
Tomodachi ni tetsudai wo tanonda.
I asked a friend for help.
この仕事はあなたに頼むしかない。
Kono shigoto wa anata ni tanomu shika nai.
There is no one but you I can ask to do this job.
彼女は本当に頼もしい人だ。
Kanojo wa hontou ni tanomoshii hito da.
She is truly a reliable person.
困ったときは家族に頼ることが大切だ。
Komatta toki wa kazoku ni tayoru koto ga taisetsu da.
It is important to rely on family when you are in trouble.
弁護士に依頼して契約書を確認してもらった。
Bengoshi ni irai shite keiyakusho wo kakunin shite moratta.
I commissioned a lawyer to review the contract.
彼への信頼はもう失われた。
Kare e no shinrai wa mou ushinawareta.
The trust in him has already been lost.
その子供はまだ親に頼っている。
Sono kodomo wa mada oya ni tayotte iru.
That child is still dependent on their parents.
頼みがあるんだけど、聞いてもらえる？
Tanomi ga arun dakedo, kiite moraeru?
I have a favor to ask — can you hear me out?
このシステムの信頼性は非常に高い。
Kono shisutemu no shinraisei wa hijou ni takai.
The reliability of this system is extremely high.
彼は頼りないように見えるが、実はとても優秀だ。
Kare wa tayorinai you ni mieru ga, jitsu wa totemo yuushuu da.
He may seem unreliable, but he is actually very talented.
Memory Tip
Picture someone bowing their head (the 頁 radical) deeply before a trusted elder, hands extended in a sincere request. That posture — head down, open hands — says everything: I need your help, and I trust you to give it. Spot the 頁 component on the right side of this kanji and think: the bowed head. In Japan, bowing is not weakness. It is how trust begins.