隠居|いんきょinkyo[0]heiban (flat)
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Definitions
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbretirement (from work); leading a quiet life (after retirement)
- nounretired person; retireeusu. ご隠居(さん)
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbsurrendering headship of the family (pre-WWII)
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 隠居する（いんきょする） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 隠居します（いんきょします） |
| Negative (nai) | 隠居しない（いんきょしない） |
| polite (masen) | 隠居しません（いんきょしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 隠居せず・隠居せぬ（いんきょせず・いんきょせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 隠居した（いんきょした） |
| polite (mashita) | 隠居しました（いんきょしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 隠居しなかった（いんきょしなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 隠居しませんでした（いんきょしませんでした） |
| Te form | 隠居して（いんきょして） |
| Potential | 隠居できる（いんきょできる） |
| Passive | 隠居される（いんきょされる） |
| Causative | 隠居させる（いんきょさせる） |
| Causative passive | 隠居させられる（いんきょさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 隠居すれば（いんきょすれば） |
| tara | 隠居したら（いんきょしたら） |
| Volitional | 隠居しよう（いんきょしよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 隠居しましょう（いんきょしましょう） |
| Imperative | 隠居しろ（いんきょしろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym引退いんたいNeutralStepping back from a profession or the stage, as in 「現役引退」; 「隠居」 centers on the quiet life led after retiring.
- SynonymリタイアNeutralLoanword for retiring from work, but also for dropping out of a race or match; 「隠居」 is about living quietly after retirement and has no sense of quitting a race.
- Related退職たいしょくNeutralLeaving one's job or retiring, as in 「定年退職」; not limited to company employees. 「隠居」 stresses the quiet life after leaving work.
- Related退任たいにんNeutralStepping down from a post, as in 「社長を退任」; it says nothing about how one lives afterwards, while 「隠居」 focuses on quiet living after stepping down.
- RelatedどくNeutralMainly to step aside or make way, though it can also mean resigning a post; as a way of life, 「隠居」 means living quietly after withdrawing.
- Related退役たいえきNeutralFor military personnel leaving active service, and for ships or planes being taken out of service; 「隠居」 is about a person living quietly after retiring.
- Antonym現役げんえきNeutralThe antonym on the retired-versus-active axis: still on active duty or in the job.
- Antonym就職しゅうしょくNeutralFinding a job and starting work — the opposite direction from 「隠居」's leaving the workforce; for still being in service, use 「現役」.
Use 「隠居」 for retiring into a quiet life or, prewar, yielding headship of the family, as in 「ご隠居」. For leaving a profession use 「引退」, for quitting a job 「退職」, for stepping down from a post 「退任」; the antonym is 「現役」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
