貴方

貴方

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
貴	方
Grade: 6	Grade: 2
jukujikun

For pronunciation and definitions of 貴方 – see the following entry at あなた.

あなた【貴方・彼方・貴女・貴男】 [pronoun]貴方, 貴女, 貴男: you (second-person pronoun) [pronoun]貴方: (women's speech) dear, darling, sweetheart (term used by a wife to address her husband) [pronoun]貴方, 彼方: (uncommon) that person (far from both speaker and listener)

(This term, 貴方, is a kanji spelling of あなた.)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
貴	方
き Grade: 6	ほう Grade: 2
on’yomi

/kipau/ → /kifau/ → /kifɔː/ → /kihoː/

From Middle Chinese 貴方 (MC kʉi^H pʉɐŋ, “noble, superior + side, place, direction”).

Pronunciation

• On’yomi
  • (Tokyo) きほ​ー [kìhóꜜò] (Nakadaka – [2])[1]
  • (Tokyo) き​ほー [kíꜜhòò] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
  • IPA^(key): [kʲiho̞ː]

Pronoun

貴方 (hiragana きほう, rōmaji kihō, historical hiragana きはう)

1. (respectful) your house, your residence
2. (respectful, men's speech) you (used to address someone of equal social footing)

Synonyms

• 貴 (き)公 (こう) (kikō)
• 貴 (き)殿 (でん) (kiden)
• 貴 (き)君 (くん) (kikun)

References

1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN