行ぎょう住じゅう坐ざ臥が

ぎょ

う

じゅ

う

ざ

が

Meanings

1

noun, adverb

daily life; at all times; constantly

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

A yojijukugo literally meaning 'walking, standing, sitting, lying down', used to refer to all moments of daily life or one's constant state. Often appears in formal or literary contexts to emphasize something done continuously or in every aspect of life.

行ぎょう住じゅう坐ざ臥が、仏ほとけの教おしえを忘わすれないようにしている。

I try not to forget the Buddha's teachings at all times in my daily life.

彼かれは行ぎょう住じゅう坐ざ臥が、仕し事ごとのことばかり考かんがえている。

He thinks about work constantly, day in and day out.

Kanji

行going, journey, carry out
住dwell, reside, live
坐sit
臥bend down, bow, lie prostrate
座squat, seat, cushion

Related words

日にち常じょう
日常 is the common word for 'daily life' or 'everyday', while 行住坐臥 is a literary yojijukugo emphasizing the constancy across all activities.
四し六ろく時じ中ちゅう
四六時中 means 'around the clock' or 'all the time', similar to the 'constantly' nuance of 行住坐臥, but 行住坐臥 carries a more formal, classical tone.

Written forms

行ぎょう住じゅう坐ざ臥が
Standard kanji spelling for this yojijukugo.
行ぎょう住じゅう座ざ臥が
Variant using 座 (seat) instead of 坐 (sit); both are used.

Etymology

A yojijukugo derived from Buddhist terminology, combining the four basic postures: 行 (walking), 住 (standing/staying), 坐 (sitting), and 臥 (lying down). It represents all physical activities and, by extension, every moment of daily life.