noun
age 30; turning 30
Literary term from the Confucian Analects (論語), where Confucius said he 'stood firm' at thirty. Used in classical or poetic contexts to refer to the age of thirty.
彼は而立を迎え、新たな決意を固めた。
He turned thirty and renewed his determination.
論語の「三十にして立つ」から、三十歳を而立という。
From the Analects' 'At thirty, I stood firm,' age thirty is called 而立.
From the Confucian Analects (論語), where Confucius describes his life stages: 'At fifteen, I set my heart on learning; at thirty, I stood firm (而立).' The term is a direct borrowing of this classical Chinese phrase.