Skip to content
Kotomora

奴

guy, slave, manservant, fellow

JLPTN1StatusJōyō · secondary schoolFrequencyTop 2,000Strokes5

Readings

On'yomi

  • ド

Kun'yomi

  • やつ
  • やっこ

Nanori

  • ぬ

Meaning

奴 centers on a person in a subordinate or low-status role: a servant, slave, or a rough fellow. The meanings range from a derogatory 'guy' to a bonded manservant, all tied to the idea of a lowly person.

Most common words using 奴

20 of 61
  • 奴やつ
    N1

    fellow; guy; chap

  • 奴隷どれい

    slave; servant

  • 奴らやつら

    they; those guys

  • 売国奴ばいこくど

    traitor (to one's country); quisling

  • 冷奴ひややっこ

    cold tofu (served with condiments)

  • 奴やっこ
    N1

    servant (esp. a samurai's attendant)

  • 農奴のうど

    serf

  • 守銭奴しゅせんど

    miser; niggard; cheapskate

  • 匈奴きょうど

    Xiongnu (ancient Central Asian nomadic people associated with the Huns)

  • 奴婢ぬひ

    slaves (lowest class in the ritsuryō system); bondservants

  • うちの奴うちのやつ

    the wife; the missus

  • べらぼう奴べらぼうめ

    you fool!; you idiot!

  • 三一奴さんぴんやっこ

    low-ranking samurai

  • 三下奴さんしたやっこ

    petty underling; small fry

  • 何奴なにやつ

    who; what kind of person

  • 公奴婢くぬひ

    government-owned slave

  • 剣奴けんど

    gladiator

  • 奴め

    damn; bastard

  • 奴さんやっこさん

    he; she; him; her

  • 奴めやつめ

    fellow; guy; chap

Explore all words using 奴 →

Study

Etymology

奴 combines 女 (woman) and 又 (hand), suggesting a hand seizing a woman, which historically implied a captive or slave. The modern form retains this component structure.

Meaning mnemonic

A woman 女 is held by a hand 又, like a servant or slave under someone's control. This lowly position also gives the rough 'guy' sense.

Reading mnemonic

For ド, imagine a lowly servant carrying a heavy door: door -> ド, and the servant struggles under it.