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偸安 (とうあん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'
snatching a moment of rest ; stealing a break
Literary or classical expression for taking a brief respite, often with a nuance of doing so furtively or against expectations. Rare in modern everyday speech.
て
、
こっそり
居い
眠ねむ
り
を
し
た
。
He stole a break during the meeting and secretly dozed off.
Similar words 休きゅう 息そく 休息 is the standard, neutral word for rest or break. 偸安 is a rare, literary term implying a furtive or stolen moment of rest.
一ひと 息いき 一息 is a common, casual expression for taking a short breather. 偸安 is much more formal and literary, with a nuance of doing so secretly.
Etymology From Chinese 偸安 (tōu'ān), literally 'steal peace/rest'. The first character 偸 means 'to steal' or 'to do secretly', and 安 means 'peace' or 'rest'. The exact historical derivation into Japanese is uncertain, but it is a Sino-Japanese compound used in classical and literary contexts.
