Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
幾星霜 (いくせいそう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Meanings 1
noun, adverb
many months and years ; a long passage of time
archaic
Archaic literary expression used to emphasize the long passage of time, often with a poetic or nostalgic tone. Rare in modern Japanese; mainly found in classical literature or formal writing.
寺てら
は
幾いく
星せい
霜そう
の
風ふう
雪せつ
に
耐た
え
て
き
た
。
This temple has withstood the wind and snow of many years.
Kanji 幾 how many, how much, how far Similar words 長なが 年ねん Common modern word for 'many years'; 幾星霜 is much more literary and archaic.
歳さい 月げつ Also literary, but more neutral and less archaic than 幾星霜.
Etymology Compound of 幾 (how many) + 星霜 (years, literally 'stars and frost', a poetic term for the passage of time). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it follows classical Chinese poetic conventions.