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fleeting

Japanese translation: はかない

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06:56 May 2, 2009

English to Japanese translations [PRO]
Other / Vocab Item

English term or phrase: fleeting

Greetings,

I'm looking for the Japanese word which comes to mind particularly with regard to the sakura blossom – beautiful but fleeting/transient.

It might perhaps also be used of human life as we are only on the earth for a short time: 人生は (fleeting/transient) です。

All the best, and many thanks,

Simon

SeiTT KudoZ activity Questions: 2859 (2 open) (5 closed without grading) Answers: 1 United Kingdom
Local time: 15:45

Japanese translation:はかない

Explanation:
is my recommendation.
花の命は、はかなくて、、、
人生とは、はかないものです。

Selected response from:

Mitch Suzuki
Local time: 23:45

Grading comment

many thanks excellent and apologies for the delay
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +3

はかない

Mitch Suzuki

つかの間/命短し

Yasutomo Kanazawa

Summary of reference entries provided

FYR, please

cinefil

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

はかない

Explanation:
is my recommendation.
花の命は、はかなくて、、、
人生とは、はかないものです。

Reference: http://eow.alc.co.jp/%e3%81%af%e3%81%8b%e3%81%aa%e3%81%84/UT...

Mitch Suzuki
Local time: 23:45
Native speaker of: Japanese
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

many thanks excellent and apologies for the delay

44 mins confidence:

つかの間/命短し

Explanation:
My suggestion.
命短しis rather poetic.

Yasutomo Kanazawa
Local time: 23:45
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Japanese
PRO pts in category: 28

Notes to answerer

Asker: Many thanks, very interesting. According to the rules of Classical Japanese, isn't the second also a sentence meaning "Life is short"? (Inochi mijikashi). Perhaps, given the frequent lack of obligation to use particles in Classical Japanese, it could also be construed as “short-lived” if a predicative adjective, although according to my understanding it would have to be命短き if an attributive adjective. Please let me know if I'm wrong – it's been a long time since I've looked at Classical Japanese.

Reference comments

2 hrs peer agreement (net): +1

Reference: FYR, please

Reference information:
http://www.sanabo.com/kotowaza/arc/2004/06/post_84.html

花の命は短くて苦しきことのみ多かりき
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/林芙美子

http://www.sanabo.com/words/archives/2001/12/post_492.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3時間 (2009-05-02 09:57:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

うつろ・う【移ろう】ｳﾂﾛﾌ
*自五*(ウツルに接尾語フのついた語)
*移る。場所を変える。移動する。万一○「梅が枝に鳴きて—・ふ鶯の」
*状態が変化してゆく。盛りが過ぎる。万六「世の中を常なきものと今そ知る奈良の都の—・ふ見れば」。源帚木「心は—・ふかたありとも」
*色がかわる。おとろえる。万一八「紅は—・ふものそ」
*(花などが)散る。古今春「春風は花のあたりを…心づからや—・ふと見む」

たま‐ゆら【玉響】
*(万葉集の「玉響(ﾀﾏｶｷﾞﾙ)」を玉が触れ合ってかすかに音を立てる意としてタマユラニと訓じた) ほんのしばらくの間。一瞬。一説に、かすか。方丈記「いづれの所を占めて、いかなるわざをしてか、しばしもこの身を宿し、—も心を休むべき」
広辞苑

cinefil
Japan
Native speaker of:

Japanese
PRO pts in category: 40

Voters for reclassification
as
PRO / non-PRO

Non-PRO (1): Peishun CHIANG

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fleeting

Japanese translation: はかない

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Japanese translation: はかない

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