者しゃ

suffix

person; -er

Productive suffix that attaches to nouns or verb stems to form agent nouns or role nouns. Common in compounds like 医者, 学者, 読者.

• 彼かれは有ゆう名めいな科か学がく者しゃです。

  He is a famous scientist.

• この本ほんは多おおくの読どく者しゃに愛あいされている。

  This book is loved by many readers.

noun

expert; geisha; prostitute

Archaic abbreviation of 其れ者 (それしゃ) or similar compounds. Used historically to refer to a specialist, a geisha, or a prostitute. Not productive in modern Japanese.

See also: 其れ者

• 江え戸ど時じ代だいには、「者しゃ」だけで芸げい者しゃや遊ゆう女じょを指さすことがあった。

  In the Edo period, 者 alone could refer to a geisha or a courtesan.