(ひか)(せんしゅ)

ひかえせんしゅ
noun
substitute player; reserve player; benchwarmer
1. substitute player; reserve player; benchwarmer
A player who is on the team roster but not in the starting lineup, waiting on the bench to replace a starting player if needed. Used across various sports.
(ひか)選手(せんしゅ)として待機(たいき)する。
To stand by as a substitute player.
怪我(けが)をした選手(せんしゅ)()わって(ひか)選手(せんしゅ)出場(しゅつじょう)した。
A substitute player entered the game in place of the injured player.
(なが)(あいだ)(ひか)選手(せんしゅ)だったが、(こん)シーズンからレギュラーになった。
I was a bench player for a long time, but I became a starter this season.

Common in sports coverage. The word (ひか)え comes from (ひか)える (to wait, to hold back), reflecting the idea of waiting in reserve.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • (ひか)選手(せんしゅ)(まわ)る: to be moved to the bench
  • (ひか)選手(せんしゅ)として登録(とうろく)する: to be registered as a reserve
  • (ひか)選手(せんしゅ)出場(しゅつじょう)する: a substitute enters the game

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • レギュラー: regular, starter — a player in the starting lineup
  • ベンチ()り: making the bench — being named to the game-day roster
  • 補欠(ほけつ): substitute, alternate — broader term not limited to sports
  • 交代選手(こうたいせんしゅ): replacement player — emphasizes the act of switching in