羊飼(ひつじか)い

ひつじかい
noun
shepherd
occupation
1. shepherd; sheepherder
A person who tends and herds sheep. While not a common occupation in Japan, the word appears frequently in stories, fables, religious texts, and cultural references.
羊飼(ひつじか)いが羊(ひつじ)を連(つ)れている。
A shepherd is leading the sheep.
昔話(むかしばなし)に羊飼(ひつじか)いの少年(しょうねん)が出(で)てくる。
A shepherd boy appears in the old tale.
丘(おか)の上(うえ)で羊飼(ひつじか)いが犬(いぬ)と一緒(いっしょ)に群(む)れを見守(みまも)っていた。
On the hill, the shepherd was watching over the flock together with a dog.

羊飼(ひつじか)い refers to a person who tends sheep. While shepherding is not a common occupation in modern Japan, the word appears frequently in translated literature and religious texts.

Forms

羊(ひつじ) (sheep) + 飼(か)い (keeper, herder). The same 〜飼(か)い pattern creates other animal-keeper words:

  • 牛飼(うしか)い: cowherd
  • 馬飼(うまか)い: horse keeper
  • 豚飼(ぶたか)い: swineherd

Cultural note

Most commonly encountered in:

  • Translations of the Bible and Western literature
  • Aesop's fables, especially 羊飼(ひつじか)いの少年(しょうねん) (The Boy Who Cried Wolf)
  • Fairy tales and pastoral imagery

Common expressions

general
Added 2026.3.22 13:45 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
18500/18538_hitsujikai