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かたじけない Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
i-adjective
grateful ; indebted ; much obliged
usually written using kana alone
A somewhat old-fashioned, humble expression of deep gratitude, often used when someone has gone out of their way to help. Feels more formal and weighty than ありがたい. Commonly used in period dramas or formal letters.
ば
を
いただき
、
恐きょう
縮しゅく
し
て
おり
ます
。
I am humbled by your gracious words.
Written forms かたじけない Usage 66%
Usually written in kana. The kanji forms 忝い and 辱い are rare and mainly encountered in historical or literary contexts.
辱かたじけな い Usage 18%
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; marked as rarely used.
忝かたじけな い Usage 16%
Rare kanji form; may appear in classical or formal writing.
Kanji 辱 embarrass, humiliate, shame Similar words ありがたい ありがたい is the modern, everyday word for 'grateful' or 'thankful'. かたじけない is more formal, humble, and somewhat archaic, carrying a stronger sense of indebtedness.
恐おそ れ 入い る 恐れ入る expresses a similar feeling of being overwhelmed by someone's kindness, but is more commonly used in modern polite speech. かたじけない is more old-fashioned and humble.
Etymology Derived from classical Japanese かたじけなし, a humble expression of gratitude. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is thought to be related to the idea of being unable to repay a favor, hence feeling indebted.
