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着たきり雀 (きたきりすずめ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, noun
owning nothing except the clothes on one's back
Idiomatic expression describing a state of extreme poverty where one possesses only the clothes they are wearing. Often used in the phrase 着たきり雀で (with nothing but the clothes on one's back).
土と
地ち
に
着つ
い
た
。
I arrived in a new place owning nothing except the clothes on my back.
Written forms 着き たきり 雀すずめ
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling for this idiomatic expression.
着き た 切き り 雀すずめ
Variant using 切り instead of きり; less common but still encountered.
着き たきりすずめ
Kana spelling for 雀; may be used for readability or in informal contexts.
Similar words 一いち 文もん 無な し 一文無し means 'penniless' or 'broke', focusing on lack of money, while 着たきり雀 emphasizes having no possessions beyond clothing.
裸はだか 一いっ 貫かん 裸一貫 also means starting with nothing, but often implies a determined, entrepreneurial spirit, whereas 着たきり雀 is more neutral or pitiable.
Etymology Literally 'a sparrow with only what it wears'. The phrase compares a person's destitution to a sparrow, which has only its feathers. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a traditional Japanese idiom.
