余よ念ねん

よ

ね

ん

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

another thought; distraction

Almost exclusively used in the set phrase 余念がない, meaning 'to be completely absorbed in something with no room for other thoughts'. Rarely appears outside this negative construction.

彼かれは研けん究きゅうに余よ念ねんがなかった。
He was completely absorbed in his research.
子こ供どもたちは遊あそびに余よ念ねんがない。
The children are totally engrossed in their play.

See all 10 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉は〈事こと〉に余よ念ねんがないsomeone is completely absorbed in something, with no room for other thoughts
彼かれは毎まい日にち、料りょう理りの研けん究きゅうに余よ念ねんがない。
He is completely absorbed in researching cooking every day.

Expressions

余よ念ねんがないsingle-minded; completely absorbed; devoted entirely to one thing

Kanji

余too much, myself, surplus
念wish, sense, idea

Related words

没ぼっ頭とうN1
没頭する is a verb meaning 'to immerse oneself' in an activity, while 余念(がない) is a fixed adjectival phrase describing the resulting state of having no distracting thoughts.
一いっ心しん不ふ乱らん
一心不乱 is a more literary na-adjective/adverb meaning 'with undivided, single-minded attention', whereas 余念(がない) is the everyday phrase for the same state of total absorption.
集しゅう中ちゅうN3
集中する is the common, general verb for 'to concentrate', while 余念(がない) specifically describes having no room left for any other thought while doing something.

Word family

余よ念ねん無なく
earnestly; intently; wholeheartedly
余よ念ねんもなく
wholeheartedly; intently; with undivided attention

Etymology

Compound of 余 (extra, remaining) and 念 (thought, sense). The literal meaning is 'remaining thought', which developed into the idea of having no other thoughts when used in the negative.