General term for help or a person who helps. Often used in compounds or as a suffix, e.g. 助っ人 (すけっと).
He always helps me out.
Colloquial, somewhat dated slang for a young woman. Can sound rough or objectifying; use with caution.
This job needs an extra pair of hands.
That chick is pretty cute, huh.
手伝い is the standard, neutral word for help or a helper, whereas 助 is a dated or literary term rarely used alone in modern speech.
lewdness; pervert; lecher
sex fiend; lecher; pervert
helper; supporter; backup · foreign player hired to strengthen a team
assistance in a fight; backup · helper in a fight; supporter
Fukusuke; large-headed dwarf statue; good-luck charm
roulette-like street gambling · portable tape-recorder (used by reporters)
inari and maki sushi combo
male bathhouse attendant
sushi
Standard kanji spelling for this noun.
Kana spelling is common in informal writing, especially for the colloquial sense.
The kanji 助 means 'help' or 'assist'. The reading すけ is a native Japanese word for assistance or a helper. The slang sense likely developed from the idea of a 'helper' or 'companion'.
manservant of a samurai (Edo period)
manservant
hick; country bumpkin; yokel
ruffian palanquin bearer (Edo period) · thug; ruffian; scoundrel; exploiter
Russian person; Russki
heavy drinker; drunkard; tippler
pipsqueak; little runt; midget; dwarf
big forehead; fivehead; asshole