Japanese word

殿下

Pronunciation

Romajidenka

Meaning

  • nounYour Highness

Example

殿下、お待ちください。den ka o ma chi ku da sa i

Your Highness, please wait.

Illustration for 殿下 (Your Highness)

More examples

殿下は明日の式典にご出席になります。den ka wa asu no shiki ten ni go shus seki ni na ri ma su

His Highness will attend tomorrow's ceremony.

Core concept

Presents a royal person as someone who deserves a special level of formal respect in speech.

Common phrases

  • 殿下にお目にかかるden ka ni o me ni ka ka ru

    have an audience with Your Highness

  • 殿下にお仕えするden ka ni o tsuka e su ru

    serve Your Highness

Definition in Japanese

皇族や王族などの高い身分にある人に対する敬称。kō zoku ya ō zoku na do no taka i mi bun ni a ru hito ni tai su ru kei shō

Word origin

殿下 (denka) joins 殿 (den, "palace") with 下 (ka, "below"); the compound developed from the expression for being below a ruler's palace into a formal title for a royal person.

Usage tips

  • Your Highness is a form of direct address in English, but His Highness and Her Highness are used when describing the royal person to others.

Other meanings

  • His Highnessnoun
  • Her Highnessnoun

Word lists with this word