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【No. 2273】Umisen Yamasen (海千山千 - Experienced and Cunning)

Jan 11, 2024 17:15
Umisen Yamasen

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.

Umi (海) means "sea."
Sen (千) means "thousand."
Yama (山) means "mountain."

Therefore, the literal meaning of umisen yamasen is "A thousand years in the sea and a thousand years in the mountains."

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.

It is sometimes used as a compliment, but note that it often carries a negative connotation of being sly.
海千山千

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。

「海」・・・"sea"
「千」・・・"thousand"
「山」・・・"mountain"

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。

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。

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。

Corrections (1)

No. 1 O-Star
  • Umisen Yamasen (海千山千 - Experienced and Cunning)
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Umisen Yamasen
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • 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.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • ・'Umi' (海) means "sea."
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • ・'Sen' (千) means "thousand."
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • ・'Yama' (山) means "mountain."
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Therefore, the literal meaning of 'umisen yamasen' is "A thousand years in the sea and a thousand years in the mountains."
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • 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.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • It is sometimes used as a compliment, but note that it often carries a negative connotation of being sly.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • While it can be used as a compliment, it often carries a negative connotation of being sly or crafty, so it should be used with caution.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
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