卑ひ賤せん

ひ

せ

ん

Meanings

Describes a person's social standing, occupation, or circumstances as lowly or humble. Often used in historical or literary contexts; in modern speech it can sound old-fashioned or formal.

彼かれは卑ひ賤せんな身み分ぶんから身みを起おこした。
He rose from a lowly station in life.
卑ひ賤せんな仕し事ごとを軽けい蔑べつしてはいけない。
You must not look down on humble work.

Kanji

卑lowly, base, vile
賎despise, low-life, poverty
賤despise, low-life, poverty
鄙lowly, the country, the countryside

Related words

下げ賤せん
Also means low class or humble, but 下賤 is more directly about low birth or vulgarity, while 卑賤 emphasizes lowliness of position or condition.
卑いやしい
An i-adjective meaning lowly, mean, or greedy. 卑賤 is a more formal, literary na-adjective/noun.

Written forms

卑ひ賤せんUsage93%
Standard kanji spelling for this word.
卑ひ賎せんUsage7%
Variant kanji form using 賎; less common than 卑賤.
鄙ひ賤せん
Rare variant using 鄙; may carry a nuance of rustic or provincial lowliness.

Etymology

Compound of 卑 (lowly, base) and 賤 (humble, lowly). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in classical and literary Japanese to describe low social status.