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侍 (さむらい, samurai) Japanese meaning: samurai | Kotomora
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His family line was samurai for generations.
Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 が 侍さむらい になる to become a samurai
He became a samurai during the late Edo period.
さすが 侍さむらい だ used to praise someone's courage or integrity
He never gave up until the end—what a true warrior spirit!
〈 人ひと 〉 は 侍さむらい のような 人ひと だ to describe someone as having a strong, samurai-like character
He's like a samurai—someone who never complains.
Kanji 侍 waiter, samurai, wait upon 士 gentleman, scholar, samurai Related words 武士 refers broadly to the entire warrior class throughout Japanese history, while 侍 specifically denotes higher-ranking retainers, especially during the Edo period.
浪人 describes a masterless samurai adrift without employment, whereas 侍 implies active service to a lord.
武者 emphasizes a warrior in armor, especially in a battle context, while 侍 focuses on the retainer's status and loyalty to a lord.
士 is a formal or literary term for a samurai often used in compounds, while 侍 is the everyday, standalone word for a samurai warrior.
侍 refers to the historical samurai social class, whereas 剣士 focuses on skill with a sword regardless of social status.
Don't confuse with 侍 (さむらい) means a samurai warrior, while 侍女 (じじょ) means a lady's maid; they share the kanji 侍 but have very different meanings.
侍 refers to a samurai warrior who openly served a lord, whereas 忍者 refers to a covert agent trained in stealth and espionage.
Word family· 11 Polyergus samurai; samurai ant
provincial samurai
provincial samurai; local samurai who farmed in peacetime
foot-soldier samurai; low-ranking samurai guard on foot
Written forms 侍さむらい Usage 80%
Standard kanji spelling for samurai; high priority.
サムライ Usage 18%
さむらい Usage 3%
Kana spelling is readable but less common; kanji is strongly preferred.
士さむらい
Alternate kanji form, mainly historical or literary; less common than 侍.
Etymology Derived from the classical Japanese verb さぶらう (to serve), reflecting the samurai's role as a servant to a lord. The kanji 侍 carries the meaning 'to serve' or 'attendant'.
犬いぬ 侍ざむらい
cowardly or depraved samurai
Show 5 more rustic samurai; boorish samurai
young samurai
cowardly, good-for-nothing samurai from the countryside
low-ranking samurai; samurai of the lowest rank
samurai spirit; samurai disposition
