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常住坐臥 (じょうじゅうざが) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
adverb, noun
always ; constantly ; at all times
yojijukugo (four-character idiom)
A yojijukugo meaning 'in all daily activities, whether sitting or lying down'; emphasizes continuous, habitual state. Often used in formal or literary contexts.
He thinks about work constantly, day and night.
Written forms 常じょう 住じゅう 坐ざ 臥が
Standard kanji form for this yojijukugo.
常じょう 住じゅう 座ざ 臥が
Variant spelling using 座 instead of 坐; both are used.
Kanji 臥 bend down, bow, lie prostrate Similar words 四し 六ろく 時じ 中ちゅう 四六時中 also means 'around the clock' or 'all the time', but is more colloquial and commonly used in everyday speech, whereas 常住坐臥 is a formal yojijukugo with a literary feel.
常つね に 常に is a standard adverb for 'always', neutral in register and widely used. 常住坐臥 carries a stronger nuance of 'in every moment of daily life' and is more emphatic.
Etymology A yojijukugo derived from Buddhist terminology, combining 常住 (permanent dwelling, constant) and 坐臥 (sitting and lying down), referring to all postures and activities of daily life. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it is used to express continuous, unwavering state.
