【No. 1227】Zyakkan (弱冠 - Tender Age)
Apr 28, 2018 16:24
When expressing a "20-years-old boy" or a "young person," you can use the term zyakkan (弱冠).
Zyakkan was derived from a system in Zhou.
In the past in China, a 20-years-old boy was called 弱, which means young; then he celebrated his coming of age and wore a 冠, which means a crown.
Therefore, zyakkan (弱冠) originally meant a 20-years-old boy, but these days it is usually used to mean a young person.
For example, you can say 彼は弱冠18歳で世界記録を出した (Kare wa zyakkan 18-sai de sekaikiroku wo dashita - He got a world record at only 18 years old) or 彼女は弱冠30歳で教授になった (Kanojo wa zyakkan 30-sai de kyoju ni natta - She became a professor at the age of mere 30).
There is the other Japanese term 若干, which has the same reading as 弱冠, but note that the meaning is quite different -- zyakkan (若干) means that the amount of something is small.
Zyakkan was derived from a system in Zhou.
In the past in China, a 20-years-old boy was called 弱, which means young; then he celebrated his coming of age and wore a 冠, which means a crown.
Therefore, zyakkan (弱冠) originally meant a 20-years-old boy, but these days it is usually used to mean a young person.
For example, you can say 彼は弱冠18歳で世界記録を出した (Kare wa zyakkan 18-sai de sekaikiroku wo dashita - He got a world record at only 18 years old) or 彼女は弱冠30歳で教授になった (Kanojo wa zyakkan 30-sai de kyoju ni natta - She became a professor at the age of mere 30).
There is the other Japanese term 若干, which has the same reading as 弱冠, but note that the meaning is quite different -- zyakkan (若干) means that the amount of something is small.
弱冠
「20歳の男子のこと」や「年が若いこと」を表す言葉に、「弱冠」があります。
「弱冠」は、古代中国の周時代の制度に由来します。
かつて中国では、20歳の男子を「弱」といい、その年になると元服して「冠」をつけました。
このため、もともと「弱冠」は20歳の男子を表すための言葉でしたが、次第に意味が広がり、年齢が若いことを表す言葉となったというわけです。
例えば、「彼は弱冠18歳で世界記録を出した」「彼女は弱冠30歳で教授になった」のように使うことができます。
量が少ないことを表す「若干」と同じ読みですが、意味は全く異なるので注意して下さい。
「20歳の男子のこと」や「年が若いこと」を表す言葉に、「弱冠」があります。
「弱冠」は、古代中国の周時代の制度に由来します。
かつて中国では、20歳の男子を「弱」といい、その年になると元服して「冠」をつけました。
このため、もともと「弱冠」は20歳の男子を表すための言葉でしたが、次第に意味が広がり、年齢が若いことを表す言葉となったというわけです。
例えば、「彼は弱冠18歳で世界記録を出した」「彼女は弱冠30歳で教授になった」のように使うことができます。
量が少ないことを表す「若干」と同じ読みですが、意味は全く異なるので注意して下さい。
Corrections (1)
No. 1 artboy598
- Zyakkan (弱冠 - Tender Age)
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- When expressing a "20-years-old boy" or a "young person," you can use the term zyakkan (弱冠).
- When expressing a "20 year-old boy" or a "young person," you can use the term zyakkan (弱冠).
- Zyakkan was derived from a system in Zhou.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- In the past in China, a 20-years-old boy was called 弱, which means young; then he celebrated his coming of age and wore a 冠, which means a crown.
- In the past in China, a 20 year-old was called 弱, which means young; then he celebrated his coming of age and wore a 冠, which means a crown.
- Therefore, zyakkan (弱冠) originally meant a 20-years-old boy, but these days it is usually used to mean a young person.
- Therefore, zyakkan (弱冠) originally meant a 20 year-old boy, but these days it is usually used to mean a young person.
- For example, you can say 彼は弱冠18歳で世界記録を出した (Kare wa zyakkan 18-sai de sekaikiroku wo dashita - He got a world record at only 18 years old) or 彼女は弱冠30歳で教授になった (Kanojo wa zyakkan 30-sai de kyoju ni natta - She became a professor at the age of mere 30).
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- There is the other Japanese term 若干, which has the same reading as 弱冠, but note that the meaning is quite different -- zyakkan (若干) means that the amount of something is small.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
勉強になりました！
Toru
Thank you so much always for correcting my post! (^^)
Thank you so much always for correcting my post! (^^)