JLPT N2Four-character idioms
三日坊主
- Meaning
- 物事に飽きやすく長続きしないこと
- Explanation
- 「三日坊主」, from the meaning of quitting the priesthood after just three days even after entering, expresses being easily bored and not sticking with things. It is used in scenes where what one resolved to do does not last. Rather than referring to an actual monk as in c1 and c2, it is a metaphor for a person who does not persevere, or that trait.
Original Japanese explanation
「三日坊主」は、出家しても三日で僧をやめる意から、飽きっぽくて物事が長続きしないことを表します。決意したことがすぐ続かない場面で使います。c1やc2のように実在の僧侶を指すのではなく、長続きしない人やその性質を表す比喩です。
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