召使(めしつか)い

めしつかい
noun
servant
personhistory
1. servant, domestic worker
A person employed to do household work or attend to the needs of a master or household. In modern usage, primarily appears in historical, literary, or fantasy contexts.
王(おう)は召使(めしつか)いを呼(よ)んだ。
The king called a servant.
屋敷(やしき)には何人(なんにん)もの召使(めしつか)いがいた。
There were many servants in the mansion.
昔(むかし)の貴族(きぞく)は大勢(おおぜい)の召使(めしつか)いに囲(かこ)まれて暮(く)らしていた。
Nobles of old lived surrounded by many servants.

Common collocations

Derived from 召(め)し使(つか)う (to employ, to summon and use). In contemporary Japanese, this word is mostly found in historical dramas, period novels, fairy tales, and fantasy settings. For modern domestic workers, 家事(かじ)ヘルパー or 家政婦(かせいふ) are used instead.

Related Words

Compare: 家来(けらい) (retainer, servant, vassal)
general
Added 2026.2.18 23:03 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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