漫まん然ぜん

ま

ん

ぜ

ん

Meanings

taru-adjective, adverb taking the 'to' particle

Describes doing something without a clear purpose, plan, or focus, often with a sense of drifting or being haphazard. Used as a たる adjective or adverbially with と.

彼かれは漫まん然ぜんと街まちを歩あるいていた。
He was wandering aimlessly through the streets.
漫まん然ぜんたる日ひ々びを過すごすのはもったいない。
It's a waste to spend your days in a desultory manner.

See all 7 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

漫まん然ぜんと〈動どう詞し〉to do (something) aimlessly, without clear purpose or focus
授じゅ業ぎょうを漫まん然ぜんと聞きいているだけでは、内ない容ようが身みにつかない。
If you just listen to the class aimlessly, you won't really absorb the material.
漫まん然ぜんとした〈態たい度ど〉a listless, unfocused attitude
彼かれの漫まん然ぜんとした態たい度どに、上じょう司しはとうとう注ちゅう意いした。
His superior finally spoke up about his listless, unfocused attitude.
漫まん然ぜんと〈事こと〉を過すごすto spend (one's days, life, etc.) aimlessly
目もく標ひょうもなく、漫まん然ぜんと日ひ々びを過すごしていた。
Without any goal, I was just drifting through my days aimlessly.

Kanji

漫cartoon, involuntarily, unrestrained
然sort of thing, so, if so

Related words

だらだらN2
漫然 is a formal, literary word for doing something without purpose or focus, while だらだら is a casual, onomatopoeic word for doing something sluggishly or letting it drag on.

Opposites

計けい画かく的てきN3
漫然 describes doing something aimlessly with no clear plan, whereas 計画的 describes doing something in a deliberate, planned way.

Don't confuse with

漠ばく然ぜんN1
漫然 describes acting without a clear purpose or direction (aimlessness), while 漠然 describes a lack of clarity in thought or expression (vagueness), and the two 然-words are easily mixed up.

Etymology

From 漫 (man, 'rambling, aimless') + 然 (zen, a suffix forming adjectives/adverbs indicating a state). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used in literary Japanese since at least the Meiji period.