1.
kitchen door; back entrance; service entrance
A secondary entrance to a house, typically located near the kitchen. Used for everyday comings and goings, deliveries, and taking out trash, as opposed to the formal front entrance.
勝手口から出る。
To go out through the kitchen door.
ゴミは勝手口から出してください。
Please take the trash out through the back entrance.
勝手口の鍵をかけ忘れて出かけてしまった。
I went out and forgot to lock the kitchen door.
A compound of 勝手 (kitchen; one's own convenience) and 口 (entrance). In traditional Japanese homes, 勝手 referred to the kitchen area, so the 勝手口 was the door leading to or near the kitchen — a secondary, informal entrance.
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
In Japanese houses, the 玄関 (front entrance) is for formal use and welcoming guests, while the 勝手口 is for practical daily use: taking out garbage, receiving deliveries, and stepping into the garden. Many modern apartments lack a 勝手口, but houses commonly have one.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 勝手口の鍵 — kitchen door key
- 勝手口から入る — to enter through the back door
- 勝手口のドア — the kitchen door
RELATED TERMS:
- 玄関 — front entrance; the formal entry to a Japanese home
- 裏口 — back door; can also mean underhanded methods