Yojijukugo
Japanese meaning of 紆余曲折
Voice sample:
うよきょくせつ (uyo kyokusetsu)
English Translation:
Twists and turns
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
Literally “winding and bending”; going through many twists and turns before reaching a result.
日本語で読む
道が曲がりくねるように、物事がいろいろなことを経て、すんなりとは進まないこと。
Cultural Context:
紆余 means winding, and 曲折 means bending. It may be used for a long project, a career, or a love story that had many problems before it ended well.
日本語で読む
「紆余」はうねうねと曲がること、「曲折」は折れ曲がること。長い計画や人生、恋愛など、いろいろあって結果にたどり着いたときに使うことがある。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• Noun phrase; often “紆余曲折を経て” or “紆余曲折の末.”
日本語で読む
• 「〜を経て」「〜の末」「〜があった」の形で使うことが多い。
Trap for English Speakers
紆余 is read うよ, not うしょ. It describes the path, not a bad ending: it is often used when things finally turned out fine.
日本語で読む
「紆余」は「うよ」と読む。悪い結果ではなく、道のりの複雑さを表す言葉で、最後はうまくいった場合にもよく使う。
Example
Example 1Basic Example
紆余曲折を経て、ようやく新しい店が開店した。
After many twists and turns, the new shop finally opened.
Example 2Applied Example
紆余曲折の末、忍びは十年ぶりに故郷の里へ帰った。
After many twists and turns, the ninja returned to his home village for the first time in ten years.
Quick check
Meaning
What does 「紆余曲折」 mean?