noun
shepherd; shepherdess
Refers to a person who herds and tends sheep. Gender-neutral in Japanese; context determines whether male or female.
羊飼いは毎日、羊を牧草地に連れて行く。
The shepherd takes the sheep to the pasture every day.
聖書には羊飼いの話がよく出てくる。
Stories of shepherds often appear in the Bible.
More formal or literary term for 'shepherd', less common in everyday speech.
Compound of 羊 (ひつじ, 'sheep') and 飼い (かい, the continuative form of 飼う 'to keep/raise animals').