片棒

• Reading: かたぼう
• Romaji: katabou
• Kanji breakdown: 片 (hen/kata) — one side, fragment; 棒 (bou) — stick, pole
• Pronunciation: /ka.ta.boː/

Meaning

Accomplice; one who shares in carrying out a scheme, especially a wrongful one. Literally, one side of a carrying pole.

Almost always appears in the fixed expression 片棒を担ぐ (to become an accomplice in; to lend a hand to a plot). The image is of two people carrying a load on a pole — one end each. The phrase implies knowing involvement in something disreputable.

Examples

1. 詐欺の片棒を担いだとして逮捕された。 He was arrested for being an accomplice in fraud.
2. そんな不正な計画の片棒は担げない。 I cannot lend a hand to such a dishonest scheme.
3. 黙って見ているだけでも片棒を担いでいるも同然だ。 Simply watching in silence is as good as being an accomplice.

Usage Guide

Context: crime, moral reproach, journalism

Tone: critical

Origin & History

From 片 (one side) + 棒 (stick, pole). Derived from the image of two carriers sharing a carrying pole. Used figuratively since the Edo period.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo-Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal