Yojijukugo
Japanese meaning of 粒々辛苦
Reading:
Voice sample:
りゅうりゅうしんく (ryuuryuu shinku)
English Translation:
Painstaking effort accumulated over time
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
Patient, painstaking effort accumulating “grain by grain.”
日本語で読む
一粒一粒積み上げるような、長年の地道な努力。
Cultural Context:
Formal/literary register; often in prefaces and acknowledgments to honor years of toil (“completed after ryuuryuu‑shinku”).
日本語で読む
文語的・儀礼的な表現。序文や謝辞で「多年の粒々辛苦の末に完成」などと用い、長期の努力を称える。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• Noun phrase meaning “patient and painstaking effort,” often modifying “努力.”
日本語で読む
忍耐強く少しずつ積み重ねる努力を「〜の努力」として使う。
Trap for English Speakers
Can be misread as referring to small grains without recognizing the metaphor for steady work.
日本語で読む
粒や穀物の意味にとらわれ、着実な努力の比喩であることを理解できないことがある。
Example
Example 1Basic Example
粒々辛苦の末にこの作品は完成した。
This work was completed after painstaking effort accumulated over time.
Example 2Applied Example
この成功は粒々辛苦の結果だ。
This success is the result of painstaking effort accumulated over time.
Quick check
Meaning
What does 「粒々辛苦」 mean?