徒然つれづれ

also: とぜん

つ

れ

づ

れ

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun, na-adjective

tedium; boredom; ennui

Describes a state of having nothing to do and feeling listless or weary. Often used in literary or reflective contexts. The reading とぜん is rare and archaic.

休きゅう日じつは徒然つれづれで、何なにもする気きが起おきない。
On holidays I feel bored and can't bring myself to do anything.
徒然つれづれなるままに、日にっ記きを書かき始はじめた。
Out of sheer tedium, I started writing a diary.

See all 5 example sentences ›

Expressions

徒然つれづれなるままにhaving nothing to do; at a loose end

Kanji

徒on foot, junior, emptiness
然sort of thing, so, if so

Related words

退たい屈くつ
退屈 is the common everyday word for boredom. 徒然 is more literary and carries a nuance of elegant, reflective listlessness.

Written forms

徒然Usage70%
- つれづれ
  gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
  Standard kanji spelling for the reading つれづれ. The reading とぜん is rare and archaic.
- とぜん
  Rare archaic reading; the reading つれづれ is gikun/jukujikun, and とぜん is a less common alternative.
つれづれUsage30%
gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun
Kana spelling is common in modern writing, especially when the kanji 徒然 might be unfamiliar.
とぜん

Etymology

The kanji 徒然 are a jukujikun reading for つれづれ. The word itself is of native Japanese origin, with the exact derivation uncertain. It appears in classical works such as 徒然草 (Essays in Idleness).