Sanshita (三下 – Small Fry)
Today I would like to talk about the Japanese word “sanshita” (三下), which means a lower-level member of an organization.
三下
Here the “san” (三) means “three,” and the “shita” (下) means “under,” so the literal meaning of “sanshita” is just “under three.”
下っ端を意味する言葉に、「三下」というものがあります。
Originally, “sanshita” was used to mean a lower-level person among gamblers.
もともと「三下」は、博打打の仲間の間で下っ端の者、最下位の者を指す言葉でした。
In Japanese gambling using dice, one and two (under three) were weak, so losers have come to be called “sanshita.”
サイコロ賭博において、3 より下の 1 や 2 の目しか出ない人は勝負に勝てないことから、そのような人を「三下」と呼ぶようになったのが始まりです。
From this, lower-level people/small fry have come to be called “sanshita” even outside the field of gambling.
これが転じて、下っ端の人や取るに足りない人のことを「三下」と呼ぶようになりました。
I work at a university, but I have the least experience among teachers, that is, I’m a sanshita.
私は現在大学に勤めていますが、下っ端、すなわち三下です。
