Archaic honorific second-person pronoun, used to address someone of higher status with great respect. In modern Japanese, it survives mainly in period dramas, formal letters, or as a deliberately old-fashioned or sarcastic address.
"My lord, how are you feeling?" the retainer asked.
時代劇では、よく「お前様」という呼びかけが使われる。
In period dramas, the address 'omae-sama' is often used.
Standard kanji-kana spelling for this archaic honorific pronoun.
Alternate spelling using 御 for お; less common and may be confused with other readings.
Kana ending さま instead of 様; seen in some modern or informal contexts.
Combination of 御 and さま; very rare.
Compound of お前 (omae, 'you') + 様 (sama, honorific suffix). The form お前 itself originated from 御前 (gozen, 'presence of a noble') with a shift in reading and usage.