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左団扇 (ひだりうちわ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun
living in ease and comfort ; life of leisure
Idiomatic expression for a comfortable, worry-free life, often with a nuance of living off others or without effort. Frequently used in the phrase 左団扇で暮らす.
団扇うちわ
で
暮く
らせる
の
に
。
If I won the lottery, I could live in comfort.
Written forms 左ひだり 団扇うちわ Usage 20%
左ひだり うちわ Usage 70%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; common in informal writing.
ひだりうちわ Usage 10%
Similar words 安あん 楽らく 安楽 is a more general term for ease and comfort, while 左団扇 specifically implies a leisurely, often unearned, comfortable lifestyle.
楽らく 楽 is a broad term for comfort or ease; 左団扇 carries a stronger nuance of living idly and comfortably, often at others' expense.
Etymology Literally 'left fan'. The idiom originates from the idea that holding a fan in the left hand is a sign of leisure, as the right hand is free and one is not working. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used since the Edo period to describe a life of ease.
