伺 means “humbly ask, visit”
うかがう · ukagau
Also: pay respects, ask, inquire
- Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)
- うかがう
- On'yomi (Chinese reading)
- シ
JLPT N2 · Taught in secondary school · 7 strokes
The story
A person (亻) before an official (司): picture a clerk bowing at the office door before asking anything. 伺う is the humble verb for both asking and visiting: 明日伺います is "I'll call on you tomorrow", and お伺いを立てる is checking with the boss first.
Used in 伺う (ukagau, to ask/visit, humble) and お伺い (oukagai, inquiry/visit, humble)
More from Respect & Ritual
- 賞 prize
- 占 fortune-telling
- 承 accept
- 仏 Buddha
- 像 statue
- 栄 flourish
- 敬 respect
- 祭 festival
- 賢 wise
- 尊 revered
- 祝 celebrate
- 拝 worship
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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.