Japanese word

大工

Pronunciation

Romajidaiku

Meaning

  • nouncarpenter

Example

父は大工です。chichi wa dai ku de su

My father is a carpenter.

Illustration for 大工 (carpenter)

More examples

その家は地元の大工が建てました。so no ie wa ji moto no dai ku ga ta te ma shi ta

A local carpenter built that house.

Core concept

Centers on skilled woodwork used to create or maintain the wooden parts of buildings.

Common phrases

  • 大工の仕事dai ku no shi goto

    carpenter's work

  • 大工になるdai ku ni na ru

    become a carpenter

Definition in Japanese

木材を使って建物を造り、または修理する職人。moku zai o tsuka tte tate mono o tsuku ri ma ta wa shū ri su ru shoku nin

Word origin

大 (dai, "great") combines with 工 (ku, "craft") in the traditional compound 大工 (daiku), which denotes a skilled person who works with wood.

Usage tips

  • The Japanese term 大工 (daiku) is strongly associated with house construction, so its everyday range is narrower than the broadest possible sense of English carpenter.

Word lists with this word