Japanese Conversation · Level 133
60 words
Japanese word
衆
Pronunciation
Romajishū
Meaning
- nounpeople
Example
若い衆が荷物を運びます。waka i shū ga ni motsu o hako bi ma su
The young folks carry the luggage.
More examples
祭りの準備を村の衆に手伝ってもらいました。matsu ri no jun bi o mura no shū ni te tsuda tte mo ra i ma shi ta
I had the villagers help me prepare for the festival.
Core concept
Views people together as the members of one group or community.
Common phrases
村の衆mura no shū
villagers
Similar words
みんなminna: All the people who belong to a particular group or community.
人々hitobito: People viewed collectively without a special focus on their individual roles.
一同ichidō: All the members of a group referred to as a whole.
Definition in Japanese
一つの集団や地域に属する人々。hito tsu no shū dan ya chi iki ni zoku su ru hito bito
Word origin
The noun 衆 (shū, "people") comes from the Sino-Japanese reading of the Chinese character 衆, which represents many people gathered together.
Usage tips
- The word 衆 (shū) is familiar in compounds such as 大衆 (taishū), meaning the general public, but its standalone use is less common in everyday standard Japanese.