世話

Japanese
Kanji in this term
世 話
せ
Grade: 3
(ateji)		 わ
Grade: 2
(ateji)
goon kan’yōon

Alternative forms

Etymology

Believed to derive from 忙しい (sewashii, “busy”). The kanji are ateji.

Pronunciation

Noun

世(せ)話(わ) • (sewa) 

  1. care, looking after, help, favor
    お世話(せわ)になりました。
    Osewa ni narimashita.
    Literally, "I have been taken care of." → "Thank you very much for everything." / "I'm very obliged to you (for what you've done)."
    困(こま)った時(とき)には隣人(りんじん)の伯母(おば)さんにお世話(せわ)になっておりました。
    Komatta toki ni wa rinjin no obasan ni osewa ni natte orimashita.
    The auntie of next door helped a lot when I was in trouble.
    コンサート案件(あんけん)でお世話(せわ)になった田中(たなか)様(さま)だったのですね。
    Konsāto anken de osewa ni natta tanaka sama datta no desu ne.
    So you are that Mr. Tanaka who was a great help during the concert project.

Usage notes

Takes the formal prefix お (o-) when talking to someone outside the group (which could be anyone else when the “group” is just oneself) about a favor done for someone inside the group.

Idioms
  • 世話(せわ)をする (sewa o suru): to take care of, to do a favor
  • 世話(せわ)を焼(や)く (sewa o yaku)
  • 世話(せわ)になる (sewa ni naru): to receive a favor, to be obliged or indebted to someone (for taking care of something)
  • お世話(せわ)になる (osewa ni naru)
  • お世話(せわ)になっております (osewa ni natte orimasu): Greeting between established business partners.
  • 大(おお)きなお世話(せわ) (ōkina osewa) / 余計(よけい)なお世話(せわ) (yokeina osewa): "none of your business"

References
  1. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN

Okinawan
Kanji in this term
世 話
Grade: 3 Grade: 2

Noun

世話(しわ) (shiwa) 

  1. worry
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