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片っ端から (かたっぱしから) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

片かたっ端ぱしから

か

た

っ

ぱ

し

か

ら

Meanings

1

adverb

one after another; systematically; thoroughly

Used when dealing with every single item or person in a group, one by one, without skipping any. Often implies a thorough, exhaustive approach.

彼かれは片かたっ端ぱしから問もん題だいを解といていった。
He solved the problems one after another.

図と

書しょ

館かん

の

本ほん

を

片かた

っ

端ぱし

から

読よ

ん

だ

。

I read every single book in the library, one after another.

Kanji

片one-sided, leaf, sheet
端edge, origin, end

Similar words

次つぎ々つぎに
次々に simply means 'one after another' in sequence, while 片っ端から emphasizes starting from one end and dealing with everything exhaustively, often with a sense of thoroughness or relentlessness.
手て当あたり次し第だい
手当たり次第 means 'haphazardly' or 'indiscriminately', grabbing whatever is at hand, whereas 片っ端から implies a more systematic, exhaustive approach from one end.

Etymology

From 片っ端 (かたっぱし, 'one end') + から ('from'), literally 'from one end'. The phrase originally meant starting from one end and proceeding through everything.