1.
respectfully yours; sincerely (closing of a formal letter)
A very formal closing phrase used in traditional Japanese letter writing, originally meaning 'bowing one's head to the ground.' Paired with 拝啓 (Dear Sir/Madam) as the opening.
拝啓 時下ますますご清栄のこととお慶び申し上げます。...頓首
Dear Sir/Madam, I hope you are well and prospering. ... Respectfully yours
手紙の末尾に「頓首」と書くのは非常に改まった表現だ。
Writing 'tonshu' at the end of a letter is an extremely formal expression.
2.
a deep bow of respect; kowtow
The original meaning: to quickly touch one's forehead to the ground as a gesture of respect. Now rarely used in this literal sense.
頓首とは、地面に額をつけて礼をする動作のことである。
Tonshu refers to the act of touching one's forehead to the ground as a bow of respect.
Originally a Chinese custom of prostrating oneself with the forehead touching the ground. In modern Japanese, used almost exclusively as a formal letter-closing formula.
LETTER FORMAT:
In traditional Japanese letter writing, openings and closings come in matched pairs:
- 拝啓...敬具: standard formal pair
- 拝啓...頓首: more elevated formal pair
- 謹啓...謹言/頓首: most formal pair
USAGE:
頓首 is traditionally used by men; women conventionally use {かしこ} instead. This gender distinction is becoming less strict in modern usage but still observed in very formal correspondence.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 敬具: sincerely; respectfully — the standard formal letter closing, less elevated than 頓首
- かしこ: respectfully (women's letter closing) — the traditional female equivalent
- 草々: in haste — a less formal closing, paired with 前略