沽こ券けん

こ

け

ん

Meanings

Refers to one's social standing, honor, or the respect one commands. Often used in phrases like 沽券に関わる (affecting one's dignity).

そんなことをしたら、私わたしの沽こ券けんに関かかわる。
If I do that, it will affect my dignity.
彼かれは沽こ券けんを傷きずつけられたと怒おこった。
He got angry, feeling his reputation had been damaged.

noun

deed of sale; selling price

archaic

Archaic legal and commercial term. Sense 2 refers to a deed of sale for land, forest, or house; sense 3 refers to the sale value or selling price. Both are historical and not used in modern Japanese.

江え戸ど時じ代だいの沽こ券けんには、土と地ちの売ばい買ばい価か格かくが記しるされていた。
In the Edo period, a deed of sale recorded the selling price of the land.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Expressions

沽こ券けんに関かかわるaffect one's honor; be a point of pride

Kanji

沽price, buying & selling
券ticket
估price, business, selling

Related words

面めん目ぼく
面目 also means face or honor, but is more about one's public image or the appearance of honor, whereas 沽券 emphasizes the inherent dignity or credit one holds.
体たい面めん
体面 refers to outward appearance or social face, often used in contexts of maintaining appearances. 沽券 is more about the substance of one's reputation or worth.

Written forms

沽こ券けんUsage100%
Standard kanji form for the modern sense of dignity or reputation.
估こ券けん
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

Originally a term for a deed of sale or its value in the Edo period, later extended metaphorically to mean one's social worth or dignity. The exact derivation of the kanji is uncertain, but the modern sense is well-established.