テイカー
teikā
The Japanese word for 'taker' is テイカー (teikā).
テイカー is a loanword used primarily in psychological or sociological contexts to describe a person who takes from others without giving back. In Japanese social discourse, it is frequently used in the phrase 'giver and taker' (ギバー・テイカー) to describe personality types in social exchanges.
Meaning: One who takes something (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
teikā
Did you know?
- If you call someone a テイカー in a Japanese social setting, you are not just criticizing their greed, but their inability to maintain 'wa', or social harmony. It is a critique of their character within the group rather than just their selfishness.
- Unlike English, where 'taker' can be a neutral term for someone who accepts something, テイカー is almost exclusively used with a negative connotation in Japanese.
- While テイカー refers to a social parasite, the Japanese word for 'taker' in a physical sense, such as someone taking a photo, is 撮る人 (toru hito) using a completely different verb.
Examples in context
- 彼は典型的なテイカーだ。Kare wa tenkeiteki na teikaa da.He is a typical taker.
