千せん尋じん

せ

ん

じ

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Literary or figurative expression for immense depth, often used in set phrases like 千尋の谷 (bottomless ravine). Not used in everyday measurement.

その谷たには千せん尋じんの深ふかさがあると言いわれている。
The valley is said to be of unfathomable depth.

noun

great height

Literary expression for towering height, often paired with depth in classical descriptions. Rare in modern prose outside fixed phrases.

千せん尋じんの崖がけから海うみを見み下おろす。
Looking down at the sea from a towering cliff.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Expressions

千せん尋じんの谷たにbottomless ravine; abyss
獅し子しは我わが子こを千せん尋じんの谷たにに落おとすspare the rod, spoil the child; let your children face hardships to grow

Kanji

千thousand
尋inquire, fathom, look for
仞fathom
仭fathom

Related words

深ふかさN1sense 1
深さ is the plain, everyday word for depth, while 千尋 is a literary hyperbole for immense or bottomless depth used mainly in set phrases.
高たかさN1sense 2
高さ is the ordinary word for height, while 千尋 is a literary, exaggerated expression for towering height found in classical phrasing.

Written forms

千尋Usage68%
- せんじん
  Standard kanji form for the reading せんじん. Also read ちひろ, especially in proper names.
- ちひろ
ちひろUsage30%
千せん仞じんUsage2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used variant kanji form; 仞 is an old unit of depth/height.
千せん仭じんUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used variant kanji form; 仭 is a variant of 仞.

Etymology

From 千 (thousand) and 尋 (a traditional unit of depth/length, about 1.8 meters). Literally 'a thousand fathoms', used hyperbolically for immense depth or height.