A Horse “Matches”? What Do You Think It Means in Japanese?

I’m always curious about what words and expressions my students pick up through their exposure to Japanese and then use in conversation.

馬が合う (uma ga au) is a recent one.

During a lesson, my student and I were talking about a medical drama. He used this expression to describe the relationship between two doctors who worked together.

I was impressed by how spot-on it was.

馬が合う literally means something like “the horse matches,” but it is used to say that two people naturally get along well or are compatible.

It’s an old expression that comes from horseback riding.

The expression originally described a good match between a horse and its rider. Later, it came to describe people who naturally get along well.

Anyone who has ever ridden a horse might understand why this became such a vivid expression. When you and a horse work well together, there is a special feeling of being in sync.

That reminds me of my own horseback-riding experience in New Zealand more than ten years ago.

It was my first time riding a horse, so I was a little scared at first. But as soon as I got on, I was fascinated by the feeling that the horse and I were moving together almost as one.

At the same time, every horse is different. You naturally click with some horses, but not with others. So finding a horse that you really connect with can feel like a special encounter.

So, who is your 馬が合う person? Your partner? Your best friend? A coworker? Or perhaps you’re still looking for the right horse.

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