About
The character 侍, composed of the person radical (亻) and the phonetic component 寺, originally held a concrete meaning tied to its components, with 寺 in early usage sometimes referring to a governmental precinct or place of duty. This construction conveyed the sense of a person in attendance or one who serves, reflecting its initial use in Classical Chinese to mean "to wait upon" or "to serve" a superior. Over time in Japan, this concept became specialized and elevated, applying specifically to the warrior class who served the nobility, eventually becoming the definitive term for a samurai, thus shifting from a general verb of service to a noble noun of status and identity. In modern usage, while it retains its historical association with samurai, the character can also appear in compounds conveying a sense of dignified attendance or service, demonstrating how its core semantic field has both narrowed and abstracted from its original formulation.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他细心地侍候病人。
侍女每天打扫房间。
侍卫保护国王的安全。
她在餐厅侍应客人。
这位护士侍奉老人多年。
他立志侍奉父母，直到他们老去。
在古代，侍女必须严格遵守礼仪。
如果侍卫失职，整个皇宫的安全都会受到威胁。