あて

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spellings
当て 宛 宛て

Verb gerund.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) あて [àté] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [a̠te̞]

Noun

あて • (ate) 

1. aim; object; end

   あてもなく歩(ある)く

   ate mo naku aruku

   to walk aimlessly

   鳥(とり)を当(あ)てに鉄(てっ)砲(ぽう)を撃(う)つ

   tori o ate ni teppō o utsu

   to shoot a gun at a bird

   行(い)く宛(あて)もない

   iku ate mo nai

   with nowhere to go

2. hope; expectation; something to rely or depend upon

   当(あ)てが外(はず)れる

   ate ga hazureru

   to be disappointed

   当(あ)てにできる人(ひと)

   ate ni dekiru hito

   a reliable person

3. pad; cushion; something added for protection
4. snack to have with drink

Suffix

あて • (-ate) 

1. 宛, 宛て: (addressed) to

   学(がっ)校(こう)あてに本(ほん)を送(おく)る

   gakkō ate ni hon o okuru

   to send a book to the school

   佐(さ)藤(とう)さんあての手紙(てがみ)

   Satō-san ate no tegami

   a letter addressed to Satō

2. (archaic) per
   • 1914, 矢島吉造, 『日米の石油業』

     左(ひだり)に一九一一年(せんきゅうひゃくじゅういちねん)に於(お)ける各国灯油消費量及一人(かっこくとうゆしょうひりょうおよびひとり)当(あ)て消費量(しょうひりょう)を表示(ひょうじ)す

     hidari ni senkyūhyakujūichi nen ni okeru kakkoku tōyu shōhiryō oyobi hitori ate shōhiryō o hyōji su

     Next we show the volume of lamp oil consumed in total and per capita in each country in 1911.

Usage notes

This term is often spelled in hiragana.

Etymology 2

Alternative spelling
私

Alternative forms

• わて (wate)

Pronoun

あて • (ate) 

1. (Kansai, feminine, dated) I; me
   • 2021 June 11, フィルムエストTV, 電話予約センター～あの人この人・十人十色～‎^[1]:

     アテ　病院(びょういん)ですねん　水曜(すいよう)の朝(あさ)は

     ate byōin desu nen suiyō no asa wa

     (Kansai) I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday morning.