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しもべ Japanese meaning | Kotomora

しもべ

し

も

べ

JLPTN1

Meanings

1

noun

servant; manservant; menial

usually written using kana alone

A somewhat old-fashioned or literary term for a male servant or attendant; in modern contexts it can sound archaic or poetic.

王おうのしもべとして仕つかえる。
He serves as the king's servant.
彼かれは忠ちゅう実じつなしもべだった。
He was a loyal manservant.

Written forms

しもべUsage98%
Usually written in kana; the kanji spelling 僕 is also used but less common.
シモベUsage2%
僕しもべ
Kanji spelling for しもべ; can be confused with the first-person pronoun 僕 (ぼく).
下しも部べ
Rare kanji spelling; more commonly read かぶ (subordinate part).
隷しもべ
irregular kanji usage

Irregular kanji usage; 隷 normally means 'slave' or 'servant' in compounds like 隷属.

Kanji

僕me, I (male), servant
下below, down, descend
部section, bureau, dept
隷slave, servant, prisoner

Similar words

使し用よう人にん
A more general and modern term for a servant or employee, without the archaic or literary nuance of しもべ.
召めし使つかい
A common word for a servant or maid, often used in historical or domestic contexts; less formal than しもべ.

Etymology

Derived from 下 (しも, 'lower') + 部 (べ, 'person' or 'group'), literally meaning 'lower person' or 'subordinate'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since classical Japanese to refer to servants or attendants.