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一所不住 (いっしょふじゅう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

一いっ所しょ不ふ住じゅう

い

っ

しょ

ふ

じゅ

う

Meanings

1

noun

vagrant; wanderer

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

Refers to a person who does not settle in one place; a literary or formal term for a vagrant or drifter.

彼かれは一いっ所しょ不ふ住じゅうの生せい活かつを送おくっている。
He leads a vagrant life, never staying in one place.

2

noun

transient lifestyle; wandering life

Describes the state or lifestyle of constantly moving, without a fixed home. Often used in a literary or reflective context.

一いっ所しょ不ふ住じゅうを余よ儀ぎなくされた。
He was forced into a transient lifestyle.

Kanji

一one, one radical (no.1)
所place, extent
不negative, non-, bad
住dwell, reside, live

Similar words

放ほう浪ろう
放浪 is a more common word for wandering or roaming, while 一所不住 is a formal yojijukugo emphasizing the lack of a fixed residence.
流る浪ろう
流浪 also means wandering or vagrancy, but 一所不住 specifically highlights the absence of a settled home.

Etymology

A yojijukugo composed of 一所 (one place) and 不住 (not dwelling), literally meaning 'not dwelling in one place'. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it follows a common pattern of four-character compounds expressing a state or condition.