ご褒美
gohōbi
The Japanese word for reward is ご褒美 (gohōbi).
ご褒美 refers to a prize promised for a certain deed or catch. It is frequently used in casual or affectionate contexts, such as a parent giving a child a treat or a person treating themselves to something nice after hard work.
Meaning: prize promised for a certain deed or catch (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word consists of the honorific prefix go and hōbi (reward/prize).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The inclusion of the prefix go- makes the word polite and is the standard way to refer to a reward in most social contexts. For a more formal way to express reward, particularly in professional contexts like salaries or compensation, use 報酬.
How do you pronounce it?
gohōbi
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific concept called ご褒美感 which describes the 'feeling of being rewarded' regardless of whether an actual prize was given.
- The kanji 褒 in ご褒美 specifically carries the meaning of 'praising' or 'commending', linking the physical reward to the act of verbal recognition.
- In Japanese business settings, if you use ご褒美 to describe a salary, it might sound patronizing, as if the boss is treating the employee like a child or a pet.
Examples in context
- はい、ご褒美。Here is your reward.This sentence is useful for showing how to present a reward using ご褒美.Tatoeba #1550616 by marcelostockle, translation #1550613 by marcelostockle
- お母さんからのご褒美は、アイスクリームです。Okaasan kara no gohoubi wa, aisukuriimu desu.The reward from my mother is ice cream.
Example conversation
Yota helps Yui with her homework.
- 陽太 Yota全部終わったね。ご褒美にアイスを食べよう。Zenbu owatta ne. Gohoubi ni aise o tabeyou.It's all finished. Let's have ice cream as a reward.
- 結衣 Yuiわあ、いいですね！ありがとうございます。Waa, ii desu ne! Arigato gozaimasu.Wow, that sounds great! Thank you very much.
- 陽太 Yota結衣が頑張ったからだよ。Yui ga ganbatta kara da yo.It's because you worked hard, Yui.
- 結衣 Yui嬉しいです。楽しみにしてます！Ureshii desu. Tanoshimi ni shite masu!I'm so happy. I'm looking forward to it!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
