Umisen Yamasen (海千山千 – Experienced and Cunning)
Umisen Yamasen
海千山千
The four-character idiom umisen yamasen (海千山千) describes someone who has many years of experience, knows everything good and bad in the world, and is cunning.
長年の経験から、世の中の表も裏も知り尽くしていて悪賢い人のことを、「海千山千」と形容することがあります。
・Umi (海) means “sea.”
・Sen (千) means “thousand.”
・Yama (山) means “mountain.”
・Sen (千) means “thousand.”
・Yama (山) means “mountain.”
「海」・・・”sea”
「千」・・・”thousand”
「山」・・・”mountain”
「千」・・・”thousand”
「山」・・・”mountain”
Therefore, the literal meaning of umisen yamasen is “A thousand years in the sea and a thousand years in the mountains.”
すなわち「海千山千」の文字どおりの意味は “A thousand years in the sea and a thousand years in the mountains” となります。
This idiom originates from an ancient Chinese legend, which says that a snake that has lived a thousand years in the sea and a thousand years in the mountains becomes a dragon.
この四字熟語は、海に千年、山に千年住んだ蛇は竜になるという、中国の故事に由来します。
It is sometimes used as a compliment, but note that it often carries a negative connotation of being sly.
褒め言葉として使われることもありますが、「ずる賢い」というネガティブなニュアンスがを含むので、注意してください。
