八丁

Japanese

Kanji in this term
八	丁
はつ > はっ Grade: 1	ちょう Grade: 3
on’yomi

Alternative spelling
八挺

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ha̠t̚t͡ɕo̞ː]

Noun

八(はっ)丁(ちょう) • (hatchō) 

1. skillfulness; the quality of being skilled; skill
   • 1894, “浮世名所圖會 [Famous scenes from the floating world]”, in Kokkei meisaku shū [Humorous masterpiece collection], page 799:

     すれば八(はっ)丁(ちょう)は八(はち)人(にん)といふとなり此(この)女(め)手(て)業(わざ)八(はち)人(にん)まへを働(はたら)く事(こと)ゆゑ手(て)八(はっ)丁(ちょう)といふ口(くち)八(はっ)丁(ちょう)も

     Sureba hatchō wa hachi-nin to iu to nari kono me tewaza hachi-nin mae o hataraku koto yue te hatchō to iu kuchi hatchō mo

     If you do, her skill will be as eight people, this woman will produce the goods of eight workers, her skilled handwork matched by her eloquent speech

   • 2014, Yamamoto Ichikiri, Mainai bushi: kenzan'ya Sakichi goyō chō [Mainai bushi: gift-seller Sakichi’s tale], page 4:

     八(はっ)丁(ちょう)櫓(ろ)とは、その名(めい)の通(とお)り一(いっ)杯(ぱい)の船(ふね)に八(はっ)丁(ちょう)の櫓(ろ)を取(と)り付(つ)けて漕(こ)ぐ、快(かい)速(そく)船(せん)のことである。

     Hatchōro to wa, sono mei no tōri ippai no fune ni hatchō no ro o tori tsukete kogu, kaisokusen no koto de aru.

     Hatchoro is, as the name suggests, a fast ship with several skilled oarsmen gathered in one boat.

2. used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see 八 (hachi “eight”) and 丁 (chō) or 丁 (-chō)

See also

• 口(くち)八(はっ)丁(ちょう)手(て)八(はっ)丁(ちょう) (kuchi hatchō te hatchō, “an eloquent speaker and skilled worker”)