家来 (けらい, kerai) Japanese meaning: retainer

家来 (けらい, kerai) Japanese meaning: retainer | Kotomora

Kanji

家house, home, family
来come, due, next
礼salute, bow, ceremony
頼trust, request

Related words· 7

家か臣しん
家臣 is a more formal, collective term for a vassal, while 家来 emphasizes a personal, direct service relationship to a lord.
従じゅう者しゃ
従者 is a general word for an attendant or follower without class implications, whereas 家来 specifically denotes a feudal retainer of the samurai era.
部ぶ下かN2
部下 is the modern, everyday word for a subordinate at work, while 家来 is historical and tied to feudal lord-vassal ties.
奴やっこN1
家来 is a more general historical term for a retainer or vassal, while 奴 (sense 'servant') specifically evokes a samurai's low-ranking attendant in the Edo period.

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臣やつこ
家来 specifically means a feudal retainer serving a lord, whereas 臣 is a broader archaic term that can also mean slave or captive.
しもべN1
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.
子こ分ぶん
家来 is a feudal-era retainer serving a lord, whereas 子分 is a more modern, informal term for a gang follower.

Opposites

主しゅ君くん
主君 is the lord a 家来 serves, making the two words opposite roles in a feudal relationship.
殿との様さまN1
家来 is a vassal or retainer who serves, standing in direct contrast to the 殿様, the lord who is served.

Counted with

人にん
The everyday counter for people: 一人 (ひとり), 二人 (ふたり), 三人 (さんにん).
名めいN2
More formal than 人 — used for headcounts in reservations, staff lists, and announcements (5名様).

Word family

又また家げ来らい
secondary retainer

Written forms

家け来らいUsage97%
Standard kanji form; high priority in news and frequency lists.
けらいUsage3%
家け礼らい
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
家け頼らい
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

Compound of 家 (house/family) and 来 (come), originally referring to someone who comes to serve a household. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used since the feudal era to denote a lord's personal retainer.

家け来らい

Meanings

Usage patterns