侘わび寂さび

わ

び

さ

び

Meanings

wabi-sabi; Japanese aesthetic centered on transience and imperfection

usually written using kana alone

A core concept in traditional Japanese aesthetics, embracing simplicity, asymmetry, and the beauty of impermanence. Often left untranslated as 'wabi-sabi' in English.

わびさびは日に本ほん文ぶん化かの重じゅう要ような美び意い識しきです。
Wabi-sabi is an important aesthetic sense in Japanese culture.
この茶ちゃ碗わんにはわびさびを感かんじる。
I feel wabi-sabi in this tea bowl.

See all 14 example sentences ›

Kanji

侘proud, lonely
寂loneliness, quietly, mellow
詫apologize

Related words

侘わびしい
侘しい is an adjective meaning 'lonely' or 'wretched', while 侘び寂び is a compound aesthetic term. The 侘び element shares the same root but the compound has a positive artistic connotation.
寂さびしい
寂しい means 'lonely' or 'desolate'. In 侘び寂び, 寂び refers to the beauty of age and patina, not loneliness.

Built from

侘わびる+寂さび

Written forms

侘わび寂さびUsage58%
Standard kanji spelling for the aesthetic concept.
わびさびUsage42%
Kana spelling is very common; usually written in kana.
侘わび寂さび
Abbreviated kanji spelling, also common.
ワビサビ
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for stylistic emphasis or in design contexts.
詫わび寂さび
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; 詫 is not standard for this word.

Etymology

Compound of 侘び (wabi, 'subdued, austere beauty') and 寂び (sabi, 'patina, beauty of age'). The terms originated in medieval Japanese poetry and tea ceremony aesthetics.