腰掛(こしか)け

こしかけ
noun
seat; stool; temporary position
furniturework
1. seat; bench; stool
A place for sitting, especially a simple seat like a bench or stool.
庭(にわ)に腰掛(こしか)けがある。
There is a bench in the garden.
木(き)の腰掛(こしか)けに座(すわ)って休(やす)んだ。
I sat down on a wooden stool and rested.
公園(こうえん)の腰掛(こしか)けで本(ほん)を読(よ)んでいる人(ひと)がいた。
There was someone reading a book on a park bench.
2. temporary position; stepping stone
A job or position that someone takes only temporarily, treating it as a stepping stone to something better.
この仕事(しごと)は腰掛(こしか)けだ。
This job is just temporary.
腰掛(こしか)けのつもりで入(はい)った会社(かいしゃ)に長(なが)くいる。
I've been at the company a long time, even though I only meant it to be temporary.
結婚(けっこん)までの腰掛(こしか)けとして働(はたら)いている女性(じょせい)も少(すく)なくなかった。
There were many women who worked only as a stopgap until marriage.

Usage

Sense 2 is figurative and somewhat negative: the person is not committed to the job and plans to leave. 結婚(けっこん)までの腰掛(こしか)け (a job only until marriage) was a stock phrase about women's employment and now sounds dated.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 椅子(いす): the everyday word for a chair; 腰掛(こしか)け is a simple seat such as a bench or stool

Etymology

From 腰(こし) (hips) + 掛(か)ける (to rest on), "a place to rest your hips"; the verb is 腰掛(こしか)ける (to sit down).

Related Words

Compare: 椅子(いす) (the everyday word for a chair)
general
Added 2026.3.6 18:46 · Revised 2026.10.13 21:45
15000/15323_koshikake