Nakute Nanakuse (なくて七癖 - Every Man Has His Own Peculiar)

Nakute Nanakuse

Do you have any habits?

Even if you think you don't have any habits, some will be found.

To explain this fact, you can use the proverb 'nakute nanakuse' (なくて七癖).

Since 'nakute' (なくて) means "don't have," 'nana' (七) means "seven," and 'kuse' (癖) means "habit," the literal meaning of 'nakute nanakuse' is "(even) people with no habits have seven habits."

Here, 'nana' (七 - meaning "seven") is just used to rhyme with 'na' in 'nakute', and there is no meaning to the specific number "seven."

なくて七癖

あなたには何か癖がありますか？

癖がないと思っていても、よく探せばいくつかは癖が見つかるものです。

これを表すことわざに「なくて七癖」があります。

「なくて」は "don't have"、「七」は "seven"、「癖」は "habit" を意味するので、「なくて七癖」の文字どおりの意味は "(even) people with no habits have seven habits" となります。

ここで「七」は、「なくて」の「な」と韻を踏んで調子を合わせるために使われており、「七」という具体的な数字に深い意味はありません。

• Nakute Nanakuse (なくて七癖 - Every Man Has His Own Peculiar)
• Nakute Nanakuse (なくて七癖 - Every Man Has His Own Peculiarities)

  Another good word for peculiarities is "quirks".