Kubi wo Nagaku-suru (首を長くする - Waiting Eagerly)

There is a Japanese idiom: 首を長くする (kubi wo nagaku-suru).

首 (kubi) means "neck" and 長くする (nagaku-suru) means "to lengthen something," so the literal meaning of this idiom is "to lengthen one's neck."

However, it actually means to wait for something eagerly.

If you are looking forward to meet someone, you will stretch yourself or lengthen your neck in order to look into the far distance.

Because of this, "kubi wo nagaku-suru" has come to be used in the above meaning.

If you want to express you're waiting for something explicitly, you can say 首を長くして待つ (kubi wo nagaku-shite matsu), by using the verb 待つ (matsu - waiting).

首を長くする

日本語には「首を長くする」という慣用句があります。

「首」は "neck," 「長くする」は "to lengthen something" を意味するので、「首を長くする」の文字通りの意味は "to lengthen one's neck" となります。

しかし、実際には「何かを期待して待ち焦がれる」ことを意味します。

誰かと会うとき、それが楽しみであれば、遠くを見ようとしてきっと首を伸ばしたり背伸びしたりするはずです。

このことから、「首を長くする」は上記の意味で使われるようになりました。

ちなみに、「首を長くして待つ」のようにして、「待つ」ことを明示的に表すこともできます。

• Kubi wo Nagaku-suru (首を長くする - Waiting Eagerly)
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• There is a Japanese idiom: 首を長くする (kubi wo nagaku-suru).
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• 首 (kubi) means "neck" and 長くする (nagaku-suru) means "to lengthen something," so the literal meaning of this idiom is "to lengthen one's neck."
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• However, it actually means to wait for something eagerly.
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• If you are looking forward to meet someone, you will stretch yourself or lengthen your neck in order to look into the far distance.
• If you are looking forward to meet someone, you will stretch yourself or lengthen your neck in order to see further look into the far distance.

  Edited to make it sound more natural.

• Because of this, "kubi wo nagaku-suru" has come to be used in the above meaning.
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

• If you want to express you're waiting for something explicitly, you can say 首を長くして待つ (kubi wo nagaku-shite matsu), by using the verb 待つ (matsu - waiting).
• This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!

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