手て前まえ

noun

just before reaching; this side of a place

Used with a destination or landmark to mean a point before you get there: 駅の手前, 橋の手前, 交差点の手前.

• 駅えきの手て前まえで右みぎに曲まがってください。

  Please turn right just before the station.

• 橋はしの手て前まえで車くるまを止とめた。

  I stopped the car on this side of the bridge.

noun

one's position; face; appearances; honour

Often used in the pattern Xした手前, meaning that because of one's stated position, promise, or outward appearance, one feels unable to act otherwise.

• 引ひき受うけると言いった手て前まえ、途と中ちゅうでやめるわけにはいかない。

  Having said I would take it on, I cannot very well quit halfway.

• 親おやの手て前まえ、彼かれは平へい気きな顔かおをしていた。

  For his parents' sake, he kept up a calm appearance.

noun

skill; dexterity; artistry

Limited and somewhat old-fashioned outside set expressions. Often encountered with honorific お in phrases such as お手前拝見, meaning to see someone's skill or performance.

• では、お手て前まえ拝はい見けんといこう。

  Well then, let's see what you can do.

noun

tea-ceremony procedure; tea-making form

Specialized tea-ceremony use for the prescribed procedure or form of preparing tea. Related to 点前・てまえ, which is a common spelling for this technical sense.

See also: 点前 (てまえ)

• 茶さ道どうでは、茶ちゃを点たてる作さ法ほうを手て前まえと呼よぶことがある。

  In the tea ceremony, the procedure for preparing tea may be called temae.

pronoun

I; me

Humble first-person pronoun. It is old-fashioned and now mainly appears in formal, literary, or set humble expressions such as 手前ども.

• 手て前まえの不ふ注ちゅう意いで、ご迷めい惑わくをおかけしました。

  Through my own carelessness, I caused you trouble.

• 手て前まえどもで責せき任にんを持もって対たい応おういたします。

  We will take responsibility and handle it.

pronoun

you

Male second-person pronoun used downward toward an inferior. It sounds rough and old-fashioned; in modern speech a related rough form is often encountered separately, but lists the reading てまえ.

• 時じ代だい劇げきでは、親おや方かたが弟で子しに「手て前まえは黙だまっていろ」と言いう場ば面めんがある。

  In period dramas, there are scenes where a master says to an apprentice, 'You keep quiet.'