腰 掛(こしか)け

こしかけ

noun

seat; stool; temporary position

furniture work

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 1 is a straightforward word for a simple seat or bench. Sense 2 is figurative and somewhat negative, implying that the person is not fully committed to the position.

Common collocations

腰掛(こしか)けに座(すわ)る (to sit on a bench)
腰掛(こしか)け仕事(しごと) (temporary job, stopgap position)
腰掛(こしか)けのつもり (intending it to be temporary)

Forms

From 腰(こし) (waist/hip) + 掛(か)ける (to hang/rest), literally "a place to rest your hips."

general

Added 2026.3.6 18:46 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

15000/15323_koshikake