Kuragae (鞍替え - Changing Sides)

Feb 14, 2018 20:04
Have you ever changed your job?

Generally, changing your job or career is called 転職 (tenshoku) in Japanese.

Here 転 (ten) means "change" and 職 (shoku) means "job."

On the other hand, we sometimes call such changing your job/affiliation/sides 鞍替え (kuragae).

There are several theories about 鞍 (kura) -- some say that it comes from 倉 (kura), meaning "whereabouts," and others say that it comes from 郭 (kuruwa), meaning "licensed brothel."
(Also, "gae/kae" in "kuragae" means "change.")

This term was originally used when prostitutes changed their brothels.

Later, it has come to be used to mean to change your job.
鞍替え

あなたは仕事を変えたことがありますか?

通常、職業や職場などを変えることを日本語で「転職」と言います。

「転」は "change," 「職」は "job" を意味します。

一方、転職することを「鞍替え」と言うこともあります。

「鞍」の語源は諸説ありますが、居場所を意味する「倉(くら)」や、遊郭を意味する「郭(くるわ)」から来ていると考えられています。

「替え」は "change" を意味し、もともとこの言葉は遊女や芸人が事情があって勤め先を変更すること表していました。

現在では単に「転職」の意味でも用いられるようになっています。
No. 1 Zyzzyx's correction
  • Kuragae (鞍替え - Changing Sides)
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Have you ever changed your job?
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Generally, changing your job or career is called 転職 (tenshoku) in Japanese.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Here 転 (ten) means "change" and 職 (shoku) means "job."
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • On the other hand, we sometimes call such changing your job/affiliation/sides 鞍替え (kuragae).
  • On the other hand, we sometimes call such changing your job/affiliation/sides 鞍替え (kuragae).
  • There are several theories about 鞍 (kura) -- some say that it comes from 倉 (kura), meaning "whereabouts," and others say that it comes from 郭 (kuruwa), meaning "licensed brothel."
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • (Also, "gae/kae" in "kuragae" means "change.")
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • This term was originally used when prostitutes changed their brothels.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Later, it has come to be used to mean to change your job.
  • Later, it has come to be used to mean to change your job.
So does 鞍替え have a negative connotation at all, or is it a neutral word now?
Toru
Thank you so much for the correction!
Now 鞍替え is almost a neutral word, but sometimes it’s used as a negative meaning.
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