Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
栄枯盛衰 (えいこせいすい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Meanings 1
noun
ups and downs of life ; vicissitudes of fortune
yojijukugo (four-character idiom)
A yojijukugo (four-character idiom) expressing the rise and fall of all things, especially human affairs and fortunes. Often used in reflective or literary contexts.
ふ
り
返かえ
る
と
、
栄えい
枯こ
盛せい
衰すい
の
繰く
り
返かえ
し
に
気き
づく
。
Looking back at history, one notices the repeated vicissitudes of fortune.
Kanji 栄 flourish, prosperity, honor Similar words 盛じょう 者しゃ 必ひっ 衰すい Also a yojijukugo meaning 'the prosperous inevitably decline,' focusing on the certainty of decline rather than the cyclical nature of ups and downs.
諸しょ 行ぎょう 無む 常じょう A Buddhist term meaning 'all things are impermanent,' broader in scope and more philosophical than 栄枯盛衰, which specifically refers to worldly fortunes.
Etymology A yojijukugo composed of 栄 (flourish), 枯 (wither), 盛 (prosper), and 衰 (decline), literally meaning 'flourish, wither, prosper, decline.' The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it reflects a common East Asian literary motif of the cyclical nature of worldly affairs.
