殿(との)

との
noun
lord; feudal lord
personhistory
1. lord; feudal lord; master
A title for a feudal lord or person of high rank in historical Japan. In modern usage, it appears in historical dramas, period fiction, and humorous contexts.
殿(との)、敵(てき)が攻(せ)めてまいりました。
My lord, the enemy has attacked.
殿(との)の命令(めいれい)には誰(だれ)も逆(さか)らえなかった。
No one could defy the lord's orders.
戦国時代(せんごくじだい)の殿(との)たちは領地(りょうち)を広(ひろ)げるために戦(たたか)った。
The feudal lords of the Warring States period fought to expand their territories.
2. husband; master of the house (archaic/humorous)
An old-fashioned or humorous way for a wife or servant to refer to the master of the household.
うちの殿(との)は料理(りょうり)が全(まった)くできない。
My husband can't cook at all.
殿(との)のお帰(かえ)りだ。
The master is home.
うちの殿(との)は休(やす)みの日(ひ)は一日中(いちにちじゅう)ゴロゴロしている。
My husband lounges around all day on his days off.

Usage

Do not confuse 殿(との) (lord) with the suffix 殿(どの), which is an honorific attached to names in formal documents (e.g., 田中殿(たなかどの)).

Cultural note

殿(との) is strongly associated with samurai and feudal Japan. In modern Japanese, calling someone 殿(との) is often humorous or dramatic. Wives sometimes use it playfully to refer to their husbands.

Common collocations

general
Added 2026.3.8 22:21 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
15500/15882_tono