also: ごぜ · みまえ
presence of a noble; presence of the emperor
Refers to the presence of a high-ranking person, especially the emperor or a nobleman. Often used in historical or formal contexts.
See also: お前
My Lord; My Lady
Archaic respectful form of address for a noble or high-ranking person. Can be used as a suffix. Compare with おまえ, which shifted to a familiar 'you'.
The vassal appeared before the king.
Rudeness in the presence of the emperor is unforgivable.
At the head of the procession, an outrider advanced on horseback.
"My Lord, you are summoned," said the retainer.
She performed a dance in the presence of the noble.
御前 is an archaic, respectful way to address a noble, while お前 (from the same origin) has become a blunt or casual 'you' used toward equals or inferiors.
daughter of a high-ranking person; lord's daughter
person of high rank; nobleman · wife of a nobleman
Canadian dwarf cornel; bunchberry dogwood; crackerberry
contest held before a lord; match in the presence of a daimyo, shogun, or emperor · match attended by the team owner; game with the owner present
ring-entering ceremony before the emperor or crown prince
Standard kanji spelling for the reading ごぜん, used for noble presence and outrider senses.
Rare reading for the address sense; ごぜん is more common.
Rare reading for the presence sense; ごぜん is standard.
From 御 (honorific prefix) + 前 (front, presence). The reading ごぜん is standard; ごぜ and みまえ are rare variants.