貴様

Japanese
Kanji in this term
貴 様
き
Grade: 6		 さま
Grade: 3
on’yomi kun’yomi
Alternative spelling
貴樣 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

Compound of 貴 (ki-, honorific prefix) +‎ 様 (sama, honorific suffix).[1]

First cited to a Japanese-Portuguese dictionary of the early 1600s, and likely extant some time earlier.[1]

Originally used as a term of honor and respect in the correspondence of samurai households, used to refer to social superiors. Later became a more colloquial term, and by the late Edo period, it was used to refer to social equals or even inferiors. Now in modern usage, this is used almost exclusively by males in a pejorative context.[1][2][3][4][5]

Pronunciation

Pronoun

貴(き)様(さま) • (kisama) 

  1. (vulgar, derogatory, men's speech) you, you SOB, you bastard
    喧(けん)嘩(か)売(う)ってんのか貴(き)様(さま)は？
    Kenka utten no ka kisama wa?
    Are you trying to pick a fight, bastard?

Usage notes

This is a rude form of you in Japanese. It is also used between enemies, and usually only by Japanese males.

See also

References
  1. “貴様”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
  2. “貴様”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
  3. Shinmura, Izuru, editor (1998), 広辞苑 [Kōjien] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tōkyō: Iwanami Shoten, →ISBN
  4. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  5. Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  6. NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK Publishing, →ISBN
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