着きたきり雀すずめ

き

た

き

り

す

ず

め

Meanings

1

expression, noun

owning nothing except the clothes on one's back

Idiomatic expression describing a state of extreme poverty where one possesses only the clothes they are wearing. Often used in the phrase 着たきり雀で (with nothing but the clothes on one's back).

彼かれは着きたきり雀すずめで家いえを飛とび出だした。

He ran away from home with nothing but the clothes on his back.

着きたきり雀すずめの状じょう態たいで新あたらしい土と地ちに着ついた。

I arrived in a new place owning nothing except the clothes on my back.

Kanji

着don, arrive, wear
雀sparrow
切cut, cutoff, be sharp

Related words

一いち文もん無なし
一文無し means 'penniless' or 'broke', focusing on lack of money, while 着たきり雀 emphasizes having no possessions beyond clothing.
裸はだか一いっ貫かん
裸一貫 also means starting with nothing, but often implies a determined, entrepreneurial spirit, whereas 着たきり雀 is more neutral or pitiable.

Built from

着きる+雀すずめ

Written forms

着きたきり雀すずめ
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling for this idiomatic expression.
着きた切きり雀すずめ
Variant using 切り instead of きり; less common but still encountered.
着きたきりすずめ
Kana spelling for 雀; may be used for readability or in informal contexts.

Etymology

A punning expression modeled on 舌切り雀, combining 着たきり “wearing the same clothes continuously” with 雀 “sparrow.”