Isshin Ittai and Niten Santen (一進一退と二転三転 - Back-and-Forth and Change Again and Again)

Apr 11, 2023 19:51
Isshin Ittai and Niten Santen

The four-character idiom 'isshin ittai' (一進一退) describes that things do not progress smoothly or that things get better and worse repeatedly.

Since 'i/ichi' (一) means "one," 'shin' (進) means "progress," 'tai' (退) means "regression," 'isshin ittai' literally means "one progress and one regression."

Whereas, the four-character idiom 'niten santen' (二転三転) describes that the state of things changes many times.

Since 'ni' (二) means "two," 'ten' (転) means "turn," 'san' (三) means "three," the literal meaning of 'niten santen' is "two turns and three turns."

Both idioms are similar in the sense that the state of things is unstable.
「一進一退」と「二転三転」

物事が順調に進まないことや、良くなったり悪くなったりすることを、「一進一退」と言います。

「一」は "one"、「進」は "progress"、「戻」は "regression" を意味するので、「一進一退」は文字通り "one progress and one regression" という意味になります。

また、物事が状態が何度も変化することを、「二転三転」と言います。

「二」は "two"、「転」は ""、「三」は "three" を意味するので、「二転三転」の文字通りの意味は "two turns and three turns" となります。

どちらの熟語も、物事の状態が定まらないという意味では共通しています。
No. 1 O-Star
  • Isshin Ittai and Niten Santen (一進一退と二転三転 - Back-and-Forth and Change Again and Again)
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Isshin Ittai and Niten Santen
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • The four-character idiom 'isshin ittai' (一進一退) describes that things do not progress smoothly or that things get better and worse repeatedly.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Since 'i/ichi' (一) means "one," 'shin' (進) means "progress," 'tai' (退) means "regression," 'isshin ittai' literally means "one progress and one regression."
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Whereas, the four-character idiom 'niten santen' (二転三転) describes that the state of things changes many times.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Since 'ni' (二) means "two," 'ten' (転) means "turn," 'san' (三) means "three," the literal meaning of 'niten santen' is "two turns and three turns."
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Both idioms are similar in the sense that the state of things is unstable.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
Toru
Thank you for checking my post! (^^)
O-Star
You're welcome