方かた

noun

direction; way; side

As かた, this direction sense is mostly seen in set or somewhat literary expressions such as あらぬ方. In everyday neutral Japanese, 方 read ほう is the usual reading for 'direction' or 'side'.

• 彼かの女じょは返へん事じをせず、あらぬ方かたを見みていた。

  She did not answer and was looking off in another direction.

noun

person; lady; gentleman

Respectful way to refer to a person, more polite than 人. Often used with この, その, あの, or どの, as in この方 and あちらの方.

• この方かたをご存ぞんじですか。

  Do you know this person?

• あちらの方かたが新あたらしい先せん生せいです。

  That person over there is the new teacher.

noun, noun, used as a suffix

way of doing; method; manner

Very common after a verb stem or noun to mean how something is done or the way something is thought, made, used, and so on.

• この漢かん字じの書かき方かたを教おしえてください。

  Please teach me how to write this kanji.

• 彼かれとは考かんがえ方かたが少すこし違ちがう。

  My way of thinking is a little different from his.

noun, used as a suffix

care of

Address-writing suffix meaning that mail is sent to someone at another person's address, comparable to English 'c/o'. Used after the name of the person or household receiving the mail.

• 封ふう筒とうには「田た中なか一いち郎ろう方かた 山やま本もと花はな子こ様さま」と書かいた。

  On the envelope I wrote, 'Ms. Hanako Yamamoto, c/o Ichiro Tanaka.'

noun, used as a suffix

person in charge of; official responsible for

Limited suffix use in role names and older administrative or occupational terms. The reading may be かた or がた depending on the compound.

• 「勘かん定じょう方がた」は、金きん銭せんの出すい納とうを担たん当とうする役やく目めや人ひとを指さした。

  Kanjō-gata referred to a role or person in charge of money accounts.

noun, used as a suffix

side; line; family side

Suffix meaning a side, party, or family line. Common in kinship expressions such as 母方 and 父方; some compounds may use the voiced reading がた.

• 母はは方かたの祖そ父ふは北ほっ海かい道どうに住すんでいる。

  My grandfather on my mother's side lives in Hokkaido.

• 父ちち方かたの親しん戚せきとは毎まい年とし正しょう月がつに会あう。

  I meet my relatives on my father's side every New Year's.