参る

• 読み: まいる
• ローマ字: mairu
• 漢字の分解: 参 (san/mai) — participate, visit, go (humble)
• 発音: /ma.i.ɾɯ/

意味

To go; to come (humble). A humble expression used in place of 行く and 来る in formal situations.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb. One of the key humble (謙譲語) verbs in Japanese. The speaker uses 参る to lower their own action of going or coming when speaking to someone of higher status. Also used in the set phrase 参りました (I give up / I am defeated). Essential for polite business Japanese.

例文

1. 明日の午前中にそちらに参ります。
2. すぐに参りますので少々お待ちください。
3. この暑さには参りました。

使い方ガイド

場面: business, customer service, formal speech

トーン: polite

起源と歴史

The kanji 参 originally meant to join or participate (as in 参加). Its humble meaning of going/coming developed through the idea of humbly presenting oneself before someone of higher status.

文化的背景

時代: Ancient

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Business/Formal