お手伝てつだいさん

お

て

つ

だ

い

さ

ん

Common wordJLPTN2

Meanings

1

maid; domestic helper

Polite term for a person employed to help with housework. Often used by children or in a slightly old-fashioned, respectful way.

うちにはお手伝てつだいさんがいます。
We have a maid at our house.
お手伝てつだいさんに掃そう除じをお願ねがいした。
I asked the maid to do the cleaning.

See all 14 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

お手て伝つだいさんを雇やとうto hire a maid/domestic helper
うちは去きょ年ねんからお手伝てつだいさんを雇やとっている。
Our family has been employing a maid since last year.
お手て伝つだいさんに〈事こと〉を頼たのむto ask the maid to do something
お手伝てつだいさんに掃そう除じを頼たのんだ。
I asked the maid to do the cleaning.
お手て伝つだいさんが来くるfor the maid to come (to work)
毎まい週しゅう水すい曜よう日びにお手伝てつだいさんが来くる。
The maid comes every Wednesday.

Kanji

手hand
伝transmit, go along, walk along

Related words

家か政せい婦ふN1
家政婦 is a more formal, professional term for a housekeeper often hired through an agency, while お手伝いさん sounds more personal and slightly old-fashioned.
メイド
メイド is a modern loanword evoking Western-style maids or maid cafés, whereas お手伝いさん refers to a traditional Japanese domestic helper.
女じょ中ちゅう
女中 is an older, now somewhat dated or disrespectful term for a maid, while お手伝いさん is the polite, still commonly used equivalent.
お手伝てつだいN1
お手伝いさん adds さん to お手伝い to specifically and unambiguously mean 'maid/housekeeper', while お手伝い alone can also just mean 'help'.

Counted with

人にん
counter for people

Etymology

Polite prefix お + 手伝い (help, assistance) + honorific suffix さん. Literally 'honorable helper'.