Translation guide
This entry covers how to express the idea of something transient, ephemeral, or short-lived in Japanese. It includes words for fleeting moments, impermanent things, and the beauty of transience.
Describing things that are fleeting, short-lived, or impermanent, often with a nuance of beauty or poignancy.
Life is a fleeting thing.
Cherry blossoms are a symbol of fleeting things.
Literally 'bubble' or 'foam', used metaphorically for something fleeting or insubstantial. Often appears in literary or poetic contexts.
a fleeting dream
A Buddhist term for impermanence or transience. It refers to the fleeting nature of all things. Often used in philosophical or reflective contexts.
All things are impermanent.
Literally 'a thing of an instant', used for something that lasts only a moment.
That happiness was a fleeting thing.
Means 'a thing of a brief moment'. 束の間 (tsuka no ma) means a short time. Slightly more literary.
a fleeting joy
Referring to a brief, passing moment or experience that is transient.
Describing things that disappear or fade away soon after appearing.
The concept of fleetingness is deeply rooted in Japanese aesthetics, often associated with mono no aware (物の哀れ), the bittersweet awareness of impermanence. Using words like 儚い can evoke this cultural nuance.
刹那の恋
a fleeting love
はかない命
a fleeting life