極ごく楽らくとんぼ

ご

く

ら

く

と

ん

ぼ

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

happy-go-lucky person; carefree optimist

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

Describes someone who is easygoing to the point of being indifferent or unconcerned, often with a slightly negative connotation of irresponsibility. A yojijukugo expression.

彼かれは極ごく楽らくとんぼで、明日あしたの試し験けんのことも気きにしていない。
He's such a happy-go-lucky guy that he doesn't even worry about tomorrow's exam.
あの極ごく楽らくとんぼには、いくら注ちゅう意いしても無む駄だだ。
No matter how much you warn that carefree fellow, it's useless.

Kanji

極extreme, pole, extremely
楽music, comfort, ease
蜻dragonfly
蛉dragonfly, moon moth

Related words

のんき者もの
のんき者 is a more neutral term for an easygoing person, while 極楽とんぼ often implies a lack of seriousness or responsibility.
楽らく天てん家か
楽天家 is a positive term for an optimist, whereas 極楽とんぼ can carry a nuance of being too carefree or indifferent.

Written forms

極ごく楽らくとんぼ
Most common spelling; mixes kanji and kana.
極ごく楽らくトンボ
Katakana variant of とんぼ, sometimes used for stylistic effect.
極ごく楽らく蜻蛉とんぼ
Full kanji spelling using 蜻蛉 for とんぼ; rarely used.

Etymology

Literally 'paradise dragonfly', combining 極楽 (paradise) and とんぼ (dragonfly). The exact origin is uncertain, but it likely derives from the image of a dragonfly flitting about carefreely in paradise, symbolizing a person who lives without worry or concern.