奉公
ほうこう
noun / suru verb
service, apprenticeship, working for a master
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 奉公する | 奉公しない |
| Present polite | 奉公します | 奉公しません |
| Past | 奉公した | 奉公しなかった |
| Past polite | 奉公しました | 奉公しませんでした |
| て form | 奉公して | 奉公しなくて |
| ている present | 奉公している | 奉公していない |
| ている polite | 奉公しています | 奉公していません |
| ている past | 奉公していた | 奉公していなかった |
| ている past polite | 奉公していました | 奉公していませんでした |
| Conditional ば | 奉公すれば | 奉公しなければ |
| Conditional たら | 奉公したら | 奉公しなかったら |
| Volitional | 奉公しよう | — |
| Volitional polite | 奉公しましょう | — |
| Potential | 奉公できる | 奉公できない |
| Passive | 奉公される | 奉公されない |
| Causative | 奉公させる | 奉公させない |
| Imperative | 奉公しろ | 奉公するな |
1.
service, loyal service, devotion to a master or lord
Serving a lord, master, or the public with loyalty and dedication. In historical contexts, refers to the service rendered by samurai to their feudal lords.
武士は主君に奉公した。
Samurai served their lords.
御恩と奉公は封建制度の基本だった。
Favor and service were the foundation of the feudal system.
滅私奉公の精神で働く。
To work with a spirit of selfless devotion.
2.
apprenticeship, working as a live-in servant
Working in a household or business as a live-in worker, typically starting from a young age. A common practice in pre-modern and early modern Japan.
12歳で商家に奉公に出た。
At age 12, he was sent to work as an apprentice at a merchant house.
丁稚奉公は厳しい修行だった。
Working as an apprentice was harsh training.
祖父は若い頃、呉服屋に奉公して商売を学んだ。
My grandfather apprenticed at a kimono shop when he was young and learned the trade.
USAGE:
Most commonly encountered in historical and cultural contexts. The compound 滅私奉公 (selfless devotion/service) is still used in modern Japanese, though sometimes with a critical nuance suggesting excessive self-sacrifice for an organization.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 滅私奉公: selfless devotion
- 丁稚奉公: apprenticeship (especially in a merchant house)
- 御恩と奉公: favor and service (feudal reciprocity)
- 奉公に出る: to go into service/apprenticeship
HISTORICAL NOTE:
The 御恩と奉公 system was the mutual obligation between lords and vassals in medieval Japan: lords granted land (御恩) and vassals provided military service (奉公).