一寸
Japanese
Etymology 1
| Kanji in this term | |
|---|---|
| 一 | 寸 |
| いち > いっ Grade: 1 |
すん Grade: 6 |
| on’yomi | |
From Middle Chinese [Term?] compound 一寸 (yit tshwonH, literally “one thumb, one inch”).
Noun
一寸 • (issun)
- one sun: a unit of length equivalent to a tenth of a 尺 (shaku, traditional Japanese foot as a unit of length), or approximately 3.03 centimeters
- a short amount of time, distance, or mass
Derived terms
- 一寸先 (issun saki): just a little bit ahead, just a moment in the future
Idioms
Idioms
- 一寸先は闇 (issun saki wa yami): “just a moment in the future is darkness” → the future is unknowable
- 一寸の光陰軽んずべからず (issun no kōin karonzu bekarazu): “a moment of light and dark should not be taken lightly” → every moment is precious
- 一寸の虫にも五分の魂 (issun no mushi ni mo gobu no tamashii): “even a bug only an inch long is half [full of] soul” → even the smallest is worthy of respect
- 一寸下は地獄 (issun shita wa jigoku): “an inch below is hell” → an allusion to the dangers of being on a boat, where only an inch of wood is between oneself and the deep ocean
- 一寸延びれば尋延びる (issun nobireba hiro nobiru): “if it'll stretch an inch, it'll stretch for six feet” → if one can just get past the hardest part, the rest is relatively easy
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