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伴食宰相 (ばんしょくさいしょう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

伴ばん食しょく宰さい相しょう

ば

ん

しょ

く

さ

い

しょ

う

Meanings

1

noun

incompetent cabinet minister; figurehead minister

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)rare term

Rare yojijukugo for a minister who merely attends meals without contributing, i.e., a powerless or incompetent figurehead in government.

「伴ばん食しょく宰さい相しょう」とは、ただ食しょく事じに同どう席せきするだけの無む能のうな大だい臣じんを指さ

す

故こ

事じ

成せい

語ご

だ

。

伴食宰相 is a classical idiom referring to an incompetent minister who merely sits at the table without contributing.

Kanji

伴consort, accompany, bring with
食eat, food
宰superintend, manager, rule
相inter-, mutual, together

Similar words

無む能のう
無能 is a general adjective/noun for incompetence, while 伴食宰相 is a rare, specific historical idiom for a figurehead minister.
傀かい儡らい
傀儡 means 'puppet' and can describe a figurehead leader, but 伴食宰相 is a fixed classical expression limited to ministerial incompetence.

Etymology

Derived from a classical Chinese story in which a minister merely accompanies the ruler at meals without offering any useful advice, hence 'meal-attending minister'. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but the phrase is used in Japanese as a yojijukugo for a figurehead or incompetent cabinet member.