頂戴

• 読み: ちょうだい
• ローマ字: choudai
• 漢字の分解: 頂 (chou/itadaku) — summit, receive humbly; 戴 (tai/itadaku) — receive with reverence
• 発音: /tɕoː.dai/

意味

Please give me; receiving humbly. A polite or affectionate way to ask for something or express gratitude for receiving.

Functions as both a noun and suru verb. As a casual request (ちょうだい), it is a softer alternative to ください — commonly used by women and children: お水ちょうだい (water, please). As a formal verb (頂戴する), it is an extremely humble way to say 'to receive,' more polite than いただく. The register shifts dramatically depending on whether hiragana or kanji is used.

例文

1. お母さん、お水ちょうだい。
2. お名前を頂戴できますか。
3. お土産を頂戴して大変うれしいです。

使い方ガイド

場面: family, business, daily life

トーン: polite

起源と歴史

Compound of 頂 (chou, summit/to receive humbly) and 戴 (tai, to receive with reverence). Both kanji share the meaning of receiving something held above one's head — the gesture of humble acceptance in traditional Japanese etiquette.

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal