家 臣(かしん)

かしん

noun

retainer, vassal

1. retainer, vassal

A person who serves a lord or feudal ruler. In Japanese history, refers to the samurai who served under a daimyō or other feudal lord.

殿様(とのさま)に仕(つか)える家臣(かしん)たち。

The retainers who serve the lord.

家臣(かしん)たちは主君(しゅくん)に忠誠(ちゅうせい)を誓(ちか)った。

The retainers pledged their loyalty to their lord.

織田(おだ)信長(のぶなが)は多(おお)くの有能(ゆうのう)な家臣(かしん)を抱(かか)え、天下(てんか)統一(とういつ)を目指(めざ)した。

Oda Nobunaga gathered many capable retainers and aimed to unify the country.

Usage

Primarily a historical term from the feudal era. 家臣(かしん) specifically implies a hereditary or household retainer — someone who belongs to the lord's household as opposed to a temporary ally. The related term 家臣団(かしんだん) refers to the collective body of retainers.

In modern usage, 家臣(かしん) appears mainly in historical fiction, period dramas, and discussions of Japanese history.

Common collocations

家臣(かしん)団(だん): retainer corps, body of vassals
家臣(かしん)に仕(つか)える: to serve as a retainer
忠実(ちゅうじつ)な家臣(かしん): loyal retainer
譜代(ふだい)の家臣(かしん): hereditary retainer

Related Words

Related: 主君(しゅくん) (feudal lord, liege lord)

Compare: 忠臣(ちゅうしん) (loyal retainer)

general

Added 2026.2.22 14:24 · Revised 2026.10.7 3:53

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