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役夫 (えきふ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

役えき夫ふ

え

き

ふ

Meanings

1

noun

laborer; worker

A somewhat formal or literary term for a manual laborer, often used in historical or official contexts.

古こ代だいの役えき夫ふたちは重おもい石いしを運はこんだ。
The laborers of ancient times carried heavy stones.

Kanji

役duty, war, campaign
夫husband, man

Similar words

労ろう働どう者しゃ
労働者 is the common modern term for a worker or laborer, while 役夫 is more formal and often historical.

Etymology

The term is composed of 役 (service, duty) and 夫 (man, husband), literally meaning a man who performs service or labor. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.