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手前. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
手前, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
手前 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
手前 you have here. The definition of the word
手前 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
手前, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Japanese
Etymology 1
Compound of Old Japanese elements 手 (te, “hand”) + 前 (mae, “front”), originally meaning “that which is just in front of one's hand”.[1][2][3]
Pronunciation
Noun
手前 • (temae) ←てまへ (temafe)?
- position that is just in front or before; in the nearer position
- あの店は交差点の手前にある。
- Ano mise wa kōsaten no temae ni aru.
- That store is just in front of the intersection.
Pronoun
手前 • (temae) ←てまへ (temafe)?
- (dated, humble, men's speech) I, me (who stands before you)
- (rare, informal, sometimes derogatory) you
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of “distant”): 奥 (oku)
Etymology 2
Corruption of temae. The vowel shift emphasizes the confrontational sense of the term.[2][3] This flattening of diphthongs to monophthongs is characteristic of Tokyo's Shitamachi dialect. Compare おめえ (omē, from お前 (omae)), ねえ (nē, from ない), やべえ (yabē, from やばい (yabai)).
Pronunciation
Pronoun
手前 • (temē)
- (vulgar, derogatory, men's speech) you, you son of a bitch, you bastard
- 手前、何しやがったんだ!
- Temē, nani shiyagatta n da!
- You bastard, what did you do!?
Usage notes
Usually spelled in hiragana as てめえ.
Synonyms
References
- ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN