主あるじ

あ

る

じ

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 1,000

Meanings

head of household; proprietor; landlord; master

Only when written 主 / 主人

Refers to the person in charge of a household, shop, inn, or estate. Can be used for both male and female. Often used in historical or traditional contexts.

旅りょ館かんの主あるじが玄げん関かんまで迎むかえに出でてきた。
The proprietor of the inn came out to the entrance to greet us.
彼かれはこの屋や敷しきの主あるじだ。
He is the master of this mansion.

noun

entertaining a guest; feast

archaic

Archaic sense. Refers to hosting or entertaining someone as a guest. Related to the compound 饗設け (あるじもうけ).

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉の主あるじとなるto become the master/head of a place
彼かれはこの屋や敷しきの主あるじとなった。
He became the master of this mansion.
〈物もの〉の主あるじthe owner/master of a thing (e.g. a shop, estate)
この店みせの主あるじは代だい々だい続つづく老舗しにせの家か系けいだ。
The proprietor of this shop comes from a long-established family line.

Expressions

一いっ家かの主あるじmaster of the household; head of the family
一いっ国こく一いち城じょうの主あるじhead of a household; business owner; proudly independent person · feudal lord; daimyo

Kanji

主lord, chief, master
人person
饗banquet

Related words

主しゅ人じんN4sense 1
主人 is the common modern word for 'husband' or 'master/owner', while 主 (あるじ) is more archaic and used in traditional or literary contexts.
大おお屋やN3sense 1
大家 specifically means the landlord of a rental property, whereas 主 (あるじ) covers the broader idea of head of a household, shop, or estate.

Opposites

客きゃくN4sense 2
客 is the guest being entertained, the direct opposite of 主 (あるじ) in its archaic sense of 'one who hosts or entertains a guest'.
従じゅう者しゃ sense 1
従者 is a servant or retainer who follows and serves, standing in contrast to 主 (あるじ), the master or head of a household.

Word family

女おんな主あるじ
female owner; proprietress; landlady; female head of a household
男おとこ主あるじ
male head of a household; male owner; landlord; proprietor; male employer
坊ぼうの主あるじ
master of the priests' quarters

Written forms

主あるじUsage7%
Standard kanji form for the modern sense. High priority.
あるじUsage93%
主人あるじ
Rare kanji form for あるじ; more commonly read しゅじん.
饗あるじ
rarely-used kanji form
Archaic kanji form associated with the entertaining/feast sense.

Etymology

The derivation is uncertain. The kanji 主 is conventionally associated with the meaning 'master' or 'head'.

Meanings

noun

head of household; proprietor; landlord; master

Only when written 主 / 主人

Refers to the person in charge of a household, shop, inn, or estate. Can be used for both male and female. Often used in historical or traditional contexts.

旅りょ館かんの主あるじが玄げん関かんまで迎むかえに出でてきた。
The proprietor of the inn came out to the entrance to greet us.
彼かれはこの屋や敷しきの主あるじだ。
He is the master of this mansion.

noun

entertaining a guest; feast

archaic

Archaic sense. Refers to hosting or entertaining someone as a guest. Related to the compound 饗設け (あるじもうけ).