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からくり人形 (karakuriningyou) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

からくり人にん形ぎょう

か

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く

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ぎょ

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Meanings

1

mechanical doll; automaton; marionette; blind follower

Literally a traditional Japanese mechanical doll or puppet. Figuratively, a person who acts like a puppet, obeying orders without thinking.

江え戸ど時じ代だいのからくり人にん形ぎょうは

、

ぜんまい

で

動うご

い

た

。

Edo-period mechanical dolls moved by springs.

彼かれは上じょう司しの言いいなりで、まるでからくり人にん形ぎょうだ。

He just does whatever his boss says; he's like a puppet.

Kanji

人person
形shape, form, style
絡entwine, coil around, get caught in
繰winding, reel, spin
機loom, mechanism, machine
関connection, barrier, gateway

Related words

人にん形ぎょう
General word for doll or puppet; からくり人形 specifically refers to a mechanical or string-operated doll, or a figurative puppet-like person.
操あやつり人にん形ぎょう
Specifically a marionette or string puppet; からくり人形 can include spring-driven automata, not just string-operated ones.

Written forms

からくり人にん形ぎょう
Standard modern spelling.
絡から繰くり人にん形ぎょう
Alternate kanji spelling using 絡繰り for からくり.
絡から繰くり人にん形ぎょう
irregular okurigana
Irregular okurigana variant; less common.
機関からくり人にん形ぎょう
Rare spelling using 機関 for からくり.

Etymology

Compound of からくり (mechanism, trick) and 人形 (doll). The origin of からくり is uncertain, but it may be related to the verb 絡繰る (to manipulate strings or mechanisms).