下座

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
下	座
しも Grade: 1	ざ Grade: 6
kun’yomi	on’yomi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɕimo̞za̠]

Noun

下(しも)座(ざ) • (shimoza) 

1. lower seat, a seat at the foot of the table

   Antonym: 上座 (kamiza)

2. (theater) stage right

   Antonyms: 上手 (kamite), 上座 (kamiza)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
下	座
げ Grade: 1	ざ Grade: 6

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡe̞za̠]

Noun

下(げ)座(ざ) • (geza) 

1. showing gratitude to a higher-ranking person; falling prostrate
2. lower seat, seat at the foot of the table

   Antonym: 上座 (jōza)

3. (theater, Kabuki) area where the musicians accompanying a Kabuki performance sit, and by extension, the musicians themselves
4. (Buddhism) rank of a priest in his first nine years of the priesthood

Verb

下(げ)座(ざ)する • (geza suru) suru (stem 下(げ)座(ざ)し (geza shi), past 下(げ)座(ざ)した (geza shita))

1. to fall prostrate as a show of gratitude or etiquette; to bow deeply

   Synonyms: ひれ伏す (hirefusu), 平伏 (heifuku)

2. (of a priest) to descend from the pulpit after completing a sermon

Conjugation

Conjugation of "下座する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	下座し	げざし	geza shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	下座し	げざし	geza shi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	下座する	げざする	geza suru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	下座する	げざする	geza suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	下座すれ	げざすれ	geza sure
Meireikei ("imperative")	下座せよ¹ 下座しろ²	げざせよ¹ げざしろ²	geza seyo¹ geza shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	下座される	げざされる	geza sareru
Causative	下座させる 下座さす	げざさせる げざさす	geza saseru geza sasu
Potential	下座できる	げざできる	geza dekiru
Volitional	下座しよう	げざしよう	geza shiyō
Negative	下座しない	げざしない	geza shinai
Negative continuative	下座せず	げざせず	geza sezu
Formal	下座します	げざします	geza shimasu
Perfective	下座した	げざした	geza shita
Conjunctive	下座して	げざして	geza shite
Hypothetical conditional	下座すれば	げざすれば	geza sureba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative

See also

• 高座(こうざ) (kōza, “an elevated seat; a pulpit”)