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お前. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
お前, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
お前 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
お前 you have here. The definition of the word
お前 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
お前, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Japanese
Etymology 1
From 御 (o, honorific prefix) + 前 (mae, “front”), literally "honourable presence in front of me". Originally a polite pronoun applied to highly respected persons such as emperors or gods.[1][2]
First attested in the early 900s.[1]
- (standard Japanese)
- (dialect)
- おめえ (omē), おめ (ome), (Nagoya eye dialect) おみゃあ (omyā)
- おまえさん (omae-san)
Pronunciation
Pronoun
お前 • (omae) ←おまへ (omafe)?
- (informal, men's speech; or dialect) you
-
- 己は檢非違使の廳の役人などではない。今し方この門の下を通りかゝつた旅の者だ。だからお前に繩をかけて、どうしようと云ふやうな事はない。
- Ore wa kebiishi no chō no yakunin nado de wa nai. Imashigata kono mon no shita o tōrikakatta tabi no mono da. Dakara omae ni nawa o kakete, dō shiyō to iu yō na koto wa nai.
- I am not an official of law enforcement, but simply a traveller who's happened to come across this gate a few moments ago. I'm not here to bind you in ropes or any nonsense of the sort.
Usage notes
- Slightly condescending if used by a higher status peer to refer to a lower status peer, very informal between close equal-status peers; (very) impolite in other situations.
- In many Japanese dialects, it is rather the standard 2nd-person pronoun, equivalent in usage to standard Japanese あなた (anata).
Derived terms
Etymology 2
/omae/ → /omeː/
Corruption of お前 (omae). First attested in 1777.[1]
Pronunciation
Pronoun
お前 or お前 • (omē or ome)
- (dialectal, Edo, Tōhoku) you (standard second-person pronoun)
References