親の脛を齧る — oya no subune o kajiru

Contents

Meaning

Oya no sune wo kajiru (親の脛を齧る) — Explained in English

Oya no sune wo kajiru (親の脛を齧る) is a Japanese idiom meaning to be financially dependent on one’s parents — typically as an adult who should be self-sufficient but still relies on their parents for money or support.

Breaking down the phrase:

親 (oya) — “parent(s)”
の (no) — possessive particle (“‘s”)
脛 (sune) — “shin” (the front part of the lower leg)
を (wo) — object marker particle
齧る (kajiru) — “to gnaw,” “to nibble,” or “to chew on”

So the literal image is: “to gnaw on your parents’ shins” — a rather vivid and slightly uncomfortable picture! 🦴

Where does the image come from?

The shin (脛) in this idiom represents the idea of hard work and physical labor — the legs carry a person through life’s work. To “gnaw on” someone’s shin is to feed off the fruits of their labor, like a parasite nibbling away at the source of their livelihood.

What does it mean in practice?

It describes an adult — usually in their twenties or older — who:

💸 Still receives financial support or an allowance from parents
🏠 Lives at home rent-free well into adulthood
🎓 Relies on parents to pay tuition, bills, or living expenses
💼 Is unemployed or underemployed and depends on the family

Closest English equivalents:

English	Nuance
“To live off one’s parents”	Most direct translation
“To sponge off one’s parents”	Implies laziness or taking advantage
“To be a financial burden on one’s parents”	More formal and neutral
“Failure to launch”	Modern term for adults who can’t become independent
“Basement dweller”	Informal, slightly derogatory slang

Tone and nuance:

The phrase carries a mildly negative or self-deprecating tone in Japanese. It implies a degree of shame or embarrassment about not being independent — though it can also be used humorously or matter-of-factly.

Context	Example
Self-deprecating	まだ親の脛を齧っています。”I’m still living off my parents, I’m afraid.”
Critical	いつまで親の脛を齧るつもりだ？”How long do you plan to keep sponging off your parents?”
Casual/humorous	齧れるうちは齧っておけ！”Gnaw while you still can!”

Cultural note:

This idiom reflects the tension in Japanese society between the traditional expectation of becoming independent after school and the modern reality of rising living costs, a tough job market, and delayed adulthood. The phenomenon of adults living with and depending on their parents is sometimes called parasite single (パラサイトシングル) in Japan — a term coined by sociologist Masahiro Yamada in the late 1990s that spread widely in popular culture.

Example sentences

親の脛を齧るの例文20個、英訳付きでどうぞ！

親の脛を齧る例文20選

#	日本語	英訳
1	30歳になっても親の脛を齧っているのは恥ずかしい。	It’s embarrassing to still be living off my parents at 30.
2	いつまでも親の脛を齧るわけにはいかない。	I can’t keep sponging off my parents forever.
3	大学を卒業したら、親の脛を齧るのをやめようと決意した。	I made up my mind to stop living off my parents after graduating university.
4	彼はもう25歳なのに、まだ親の脛を齧っている。	He’s already 25, yet he’s still financially dependent on his parents.
5	親の脛を齧れるのも、今のうちだけだよ。	You can only live off your parents for so long, you know.
6	就職が決まるまでの間、仕方なく親の脛を齧っていた。	Until I found a job, I had no choice but to rely on my parents financially.
7	親の脛を齧ることに罪悪感を感じている。	I feel guilty about sponging off my parents.
8	夢を追いかけるために、しばらく親の脛を齧ることにした。	I decided to live off my parents for a while in order to pursue my dream.
9	物価が高くて、若者が親の脛を齧らざるを得ない状況が続いている。	With the high cost of living, young people are being forced to keep relying on their parents.
10	「いつまで親の脛を齧るつもりだ！」と父に怒鳴られた。	My father yelled at me, “How long do you plan to keep living off us!”
11	親の脛を齧っている間に、スキルを磨いて自立の準備をした。	While living off my parents, I honed my skills and prepared for independence.
12	彼女は親の脛を齧ることなく、自力で学費を稼いだ。	She earned her own tuition without relying on her parents at all.
13	親の脛を齧るのは甘えだと言う人もいれば、賢い選択だと言う人もいる。	Some people say living off your parents is being spoiled; others say it’s a smart choice.
14	起業するために数年間親の脛を齧ったが、その後会社を成功させた。	He lived off his parents for a few years to start a business, then made it a success.
15	親の脛を齧っている自分が情けなくて、必死にアルバイトを探した。	Feeling pathetic about sponging off my parents, I desperately looked for a part-time job.
16	現代社会では、親の脛を齧ることは珍しくなくなってきた。	In modern society, being financially dependent on one’s parents has become less uncommon.
17	親の脛を齧っている間は、家事くらいは手伝うべきだ。	While you’re living off your parents, you should at least help out with the housework.
18	彼は親の脛を齧ることを全く気にしていないようだった。	He didn’t seem to feel the least bit guilty about living off his parents.
19	齧れる脛があるだけ幸せだと思わなきゃ。	You should consider yourself lucky to even have parents to rely on.
20	親の脛を齧っていた頃の自分を思い出すと、今でも顔が赤くなる。	Even now, I blush when I think back on the days when I was living off my parents.

日本語	英語	ニュアンス
親の脛を齧る	Live off one’s parents	基本表現
親のすねをかじる	Sponge off one’s parents	やや批判的
パラサイトシングル	Parasite single	社会学的な用語
甘える	To be spoiled / to depend on	広い意味での依存
自立する	To become independent	反対の意味
仕送りをもらう	To receive money from parents	より中立的な表現