Tag Archives: perseverance

Make like a tree and endure

Posted on April 13, 2022 by Confanity

Of course, the way things are going, extreme-heat resistance is probably going to be more valuable than cold resistance. 歳寒松柏sai.kan.shou.haku Literally: year-end – cold – pine tree – cypress tree Alternately: Seeing one’s convictions through even when times are bad. … Continue reading →

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They do toil, and they do spin

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Confanity

Humans aren’t plants, it turns out; we just raise ‘em. 粒粒辛苦ryuu.ryuu.shin.ku Literally: grain* / drop – grain* / drop – spicy / unpleasant – bitter / suffer Alternately: Hard, steady work. To carry on with plain, painstaking, long-term labor. Elbows … Continue reading →

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If at first you don’t succeed…

Posted on May 9, 2021 by Confanity

…that’s perfectly normal, so wait. (My records show that this is the 365th kotowaza post in the series! In celebration, I decided to use a saying that includes the character 年, “year.”) 商い三年(Akinai sannen;“Business dealings, three years”) Definition: A business … Continue reading →

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Your choice: on a rock, or in a brier

Posted on June 7, 2015 by Confanity

Suddenly I feel like this one is about grad school. 石の上にも三年 (Ishi no ue ni mo sannen; “Three years, even on top of a rock”) Definition: With perseverance, one can overcome hard times and achieve one’s goals. A saying about … Continue reading →

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The good kind of erosion?

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Confanity

A kotowaza for students in the new semester: 雨垂れ石を穿つ (Amadare ishi wo ugatsu; “Raindrops drill through stone”) Definition: Mere drips of rainwater, falling from the eaves of a house, again and again in the same spot, will wear a hole in … Continue reading →

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