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恐々謹言 (きょうきょうきんげん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression
very truly yours ; sincerely yours
yojijukugo (four-character idiom)
A formal complimentary close used in traditional Japanese letters, equivalent to 'very truly yours' or 'sincerely yours' in English. It is a yojijukugo (four-character idiom) and is now archaic, appearing only in historical or highly formal epistolary contexts.
さ
れる
こと
が
多おお
かっ
た
。
Letters from the Edo period often ended with 'kyōkyōkingen' (very truly yours).
Written forms 恐きょう 々きょう 謹きん 言げん
Standard kanji form with iteration mark.
恐きょう 恐きょう 謹きん 言げん
Variant without iteration mark; less common but still used.
Kanji 謹 discreet, reverently, humbly Similar words 敬けい 具ぐ 敬具 is a modern formal closing used in business letters, while 恐々謹言 is an archaic, more deferential closing from older epistolary style.
草そう 々そう 草々 is a casual closing used in informal letters, contrasting with the extreme formality of 恐々謹言.
Etymology A yojijukugo composed of 恐々 (respectfully, with awe) and 謹言 (respectfully stated). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it follows the pattern of formal letter closings in classical Chinese-influenced Japanese correspondence.
