語(かた)り手(て)

かたりて

noun

narrator; storyteller

1. narrator; storyteller

A person who tells a story or narrates events. Used both for literary narrators (the voice telling a story in fiction) and for real people who pass on oral traditions or perform narrative arts.

この小説(しょうせつ)の語(かた)り手(て)は子供(こども)だ。

The narrator of this novel is a child.

戦争(せんそう)体験(たいけん)の語(かた)り手(て)が少(すく)なくなっている。

There are fewer and fewer people who can tell of their wartime experiences.

祖母(そぼ)は村(むら)の昔話(むかしばなし)の語(かた)り手(て)として知(し)られていた。

My grandmother was known as a storyteller of the village's old tales.

Compound of 語(かた)り (narrating) + 手(て) (person who does something). The ～手(て) suffix creates agent nouns similar to English "-er" (e.g., 聞(き)き手(て) listener, 書(か)き手(て) writer).

In literary criticism, 語(かた)り手(て) refers to the narrative voice, equivalent to English "narrator." In everyday use, it refers to someone who tells stories or passes on experiences orally.

Common collocations

物語(ものがたり)の語(かた)り手(て) (narrator of a story)
体験(たいけん)の語(かた)り手(て) (person who recounts experiences)
伝統(でんとう)の語(かた)り手(て) (keeper of oral tradition)

Similar words

ナレーター: narrator (for broadcasts, documentaries)
話(はな)し手(て): speaker (in conversation, not necessarily storytelling)

Related Words

Related: 語(かた)る (to narrate)

Compare: ナレーター (narrator)

Compare: 話(はな)し手(て) (speaker)

Compare: 太夫(たゆう) (tayuu)

general

Added 2026.2.28 18:20 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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