召めす

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

eat; drink

Respectful verb for a superior eating or drinking. In modern everyday Japanese, 召し上がる is usually more natural; 召す alone sounds elevated or old-fashioned.

• 殿とのは少すこし酒さけを召めした。

  The lord drank a little sake.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

wear; put on

Respectful use for clothing or items worn on the body. The stem form お召し is especially common in polite speech about what someone is wearing.

• 今日きょうはすてきな和わ服ふくをお召めしですね。

  You are wearing a lovely kimono today.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

buy; purchase

Rare respectful use for a superior or customer buying something. Modern Japanese normally uses お買いになる or お求めになる instead.

• 古ふるい商しょう家かの言いい方かたでは、客きゃくが品しな物ものを買かうことを「召めす」と言いうことがある。

  In old merchant usage, 召す can mean that a customer buys an item.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

take a bath

Old-fashioned respectful use, especially in the phrase 湯を召す or お風呂を召す. Modern Japanese usually says お風呂に入られる or お入りになる.

• 古こ風ふうな表ひょう現げんでは「湯ゆを召めす」で入にゅう浴よくすることを敬うやまって言いう。

  In old-fashioned language, 湯を召す respectfully means to take a bath.

godan verb (-su), intransitive verb

ride; get in a vehicle; take a vehicle

Respectful intransitive use for a superior riding a horse or vehicle; now rare and mostly historical or literary. Modern Japanese usually uses お乗りになる.

• 古ふるい物もの語がたりでは、身み分ぶんの高たかい人ひとが馬うまに乗のることを「馬うまに召めす」と表あらわすことがある。

  In old tales, 馬に召す can describe a person of high rank riding a horse.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

catch a cold

Respectful expression used almost fixedly as お風邪を召す, referring to a respected person catching a cold.

• お風邪かぜを召めさないよう、暖あたたかくしてください。

  Please keep warm so you do not catch a cold.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

get old; advance in years

Fixed respectful phrase お年を召す, used politely of an older person. Often appears as お年を召した方, meaning an elderly person.

• お年としを召めした方かたにも使つかいやすいデザインです。

  It is a design that is easy for elderly people to use as well.

godan verb (-su), intransitive verb

please; strike one's fancy

Fixed respectful expression お気に召す, meaning that something is to a respected person's liking. Common in polite service and formal speech.

• このお部屋へやはお気きに召めしましたか。

  Was this room to your liking?

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

do

Literary or archaic respectful use equivalent to なさる. It is not a common modern standalone way to say that someone does something.

See also: 召される

• 古こ典てんでは、尊とうとい人ひとの行こう為いについて「召めす」が「なさる」の意い味みで使つかわれることがある。

  In classical texts, 召す is sometimes used to mean that an exalted person does something.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

commit seppuku

Historical and euphemistic expression お腹を召す for committing seppuku. This is not a productive modern everyday phrase.

• 武ぶ士しが切せっ腹ぷくすることを、古ふるくは「お腹なかを召めす」と婉えん曲きょくに言いった。

  In older usage, お腹を召す was a euphemistic way to say that a samurai committed seppuku.

auxiliary verb, godan verb (-su)

honorific auxiliary

Auxiliary-like respectful use after the continuative or masu-stem of a verb, mainly in old or lexicalized forms rather than freely in modern speech.

• 「聞きこし召めす」や「思おぼし召めす」の召めすは、古ふるい尊そん敬けいの助じょ動どう詞し的てきな用よう法ほうである。

  The 召す in 聞こし召す and 思し召す is an old auxiliary-like honorific use.