かたじけない

• 読み: かたじけない
• ローマ字: katajikenai
• 漢字の分解: (written in kana; no standard kanji form in modern use)
• 発音: /ka.ta.dʑi.ke.na.i/

意味

Deeply grateful; profoundly obliged; unworthy of another's kindness. An archaic expression of gratitude so intense the speaker feels humbled.

An archaic i-adjective encountered in historical novels, samurai dramas (jidaigeki), and formal literary writing. Expresses gratitude so deep that the speaker feels unworthy of the favour received. Modern equivalents include ありがたい or 恐縮です, but かたじけない has a more dramatic, feudal nuance. Essential for reading or viewing period works at N1 level.

例文

1. かたじけない、このご恩は決して忘れません。
2. 殿からのお言葉、まことにかたじけなく存じます。
3. かたじけないとは思うが、もう一度助けを頼みたい。

使い方ガイド

場面: classical literature, period drama, gratitude

トーン: humble

起源と歴史

An archaic compound possibly derived from 恥ずかしい (shameful, embarrassed) roots, expressing that one feels embarrassed to receive such undeserved kindness. Used throughout the Edo period in samurai culture and preserved in period literature.

文化的背景

時代: Feudal

世代: Adults

社会的背景: Samurai