五月雨さみだれ式しき

さ

み

だ

れ

し

き

Meanings

noun

intermittently; off and on; in fits and starts

Describes something that happens repeatedly over a drawn-out period, like early summer rain that comes and goes. Often used adverbially as 五月雨式に.

Kanji

五five
月month, moon
雨rain
式style, ceremony, rite

Related words

五月雨さみだれ
五月雨 refers to the intermittent early summer rain itself, while 五月雨式 describes the manner or style of something happening like that rain.
断だん続ぞく的てき
断続的 is a more formal, general term for 'intermittent', while 五月雨式 carries a nuance of dragging on over time, often with a slightly negative or apologetic tone.

Built from

五月雨さみだれ+式しき

Written forms

五月雨さみだれ式しき
Standard kanji spelling; the word is derived from 五月雨 (early summer rain) and 式 (style).
さみだれ式しき
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; less common but still seen.

Etymology

Compound of 五月雨 (samidare, 'early summer rain that falls intermittently') and 式 (shiki, 'style, manner'). The expression likens a drawn-out, stop-and-go process to the pattern of early summer rain.