A somewhat old-fashioned or literary term for a male servant or attendant; in modern contexts it can sound archaic or poetic.
He became the king's servant.
He serves as the king's servant.
He was a loyal manservant.
彼女は神のしもべとして生きることを選んだ。
She chose to live as a servant of God.
Dogs are said to be faithful servants to their masters.
使用人 is the neutral modern word for an employee or servant, while しもべ carries an old-fashioned, literary flavor.
召使い is the common everyday word for a household servant or maid, whereas しもべ sounds archaic or poetic.
家来 specifically refers to a feudal retainer or vassal serving a lord, while しもべ is a broader, more literary term for any servant.
下僕 is another old-fashioned word for a male servant, very close in nuance to しもべ but slightly more formal.
僕 and 臣 are both archaic words for a servant or retainer, but 僕 appears more often in classical texts describing personal servants.
主人 means the master or employer who is served, the direct opposite of しもべ, the servant.
僕 written and read as ぼく means the pronoun 'I' (used by men), a completely different word from 僕 read しもべ meaning 'servant'.
Usually written in kana; the kanji spelling 僕 is also used but less common.
Kanji spelling for しもべ; can be confused with the first-person pronoun 僕 (ぼく).
Rare kanji spelling; more commonly read かぶ (subordinate part).
Irregular kanji usage; 隷 normally means 'slave' or 'servant' in compounds like 隷属.
From ancient 下部, combining 下 “lower” with 部, an element used for an occupational or social group. It denoted a person of subordinate status, especially a servant or attendant.