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待つ身は長い (まつみはながい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, i-adjective
a watched pot never boils ; time drags when you're waiting
proverb
Proverb expressing that waiting feels long for the person who is waiting. Often used to describe the subjective slowness of time when anticipating something.
試し 験けん の 結けっ 果か を 待ま っ て いる 間あいだ は 、 本ほん 当とう に 待ま つ 身み は 長なが い 。
While waiting for the exam results, time really drags.
Kanji 身 somebody, person, one's station in life Similar words 待ま つ 待つ is the verb 'to wait'; 待つ身は長い is a set phrase focusing on the subjective experience of the person waiting.
待ま ち 遠どお しい 待ち遠しい is an adjective meaning 'long-awaited' or 'impatiently awaited', describing the feeling of looking forward to something; 待つ身は長い emphasizes the perceived length of the waiting period itself.
Etymology A Japanese proverb composed of 待つ (wait), 身 (person/body), and 長い (long). The exact origin is uncertain, but it reflects a common human experience.
