Mizu no Awa (To End in Vain)
Today, I will talk about the Japanese idiom “mizu no awa.”
水の泡
“Mizu” means “water”, “awa” means “bubble,” and “mizu no awa” can express “bubbles that float on a surface of water” literally.
今日は、日本の慣用句「水の泡」を紹介します。
However, in most cases, it is used when you express that your efforts or works end in vain.
「水の泡」は、文字通り水面に浮かぶ泡を意味することもできます。
For example, when you say “my efforts become mizu no awa (bubbles on water),” it means that your efforts disappear like fleeting bubbles that float on water.
しかし大抵の場合は、「努力がや苦労が無駄になること」を表す際に用いられます。
Also, there is another expression “suiho ni kisu,” the literal meaning of which is “to return back to bubbles on water.”
例えば、「努力が水の泡になる」と言うと、「努力が水の泡のようにはかなく消えてなくなる」という意味になります。
“Suiho ni kisu” has exactly the same meaning of “mizu no awa,” but I think it sounds smarter (this is my personal opinion).
また、全く同じ意味を持つ「水泡に帰す」という表現を使って、「努力が水泡に帰す」のように言うと、格好いいと個人的に思います。
