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風来坊 (ふうらいぼう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Meanings 1
noun
wanderer ; vagabond ; drifter
Refers to a person who drifts from place to place without a fixed home or steady job; often carries a slightly romantic or literary tone. Can also imply an unpredictable, capricious nature.
あの 風ふう 来らい 坊ぼう は 、 今日きょう は ここ に いる が 明日あした は どこ に いる か わから ない 。
That drifter is here today, but who knows where he'll be tomorrow.
Kanji 坊 boy, priest's residence, priest Similar words 放ほう 浪ろう 者しゃ 放浪者 is a more formal, neutral term for a wanderer or vagrant, while 風来坊 has a slightly old-fashioned, literary flavor and can also suggest a carefree, capricious personality.
旅たび 人びと 旅人 simply means 'traveler' and lacks the rootless, unsettled nuance of 風来坊.
Etymology The word is composed of 風 (wind), 来 (come), and 坊 (boy/monk), suggesting someone who comes and goes like the wind. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it has been used since at least the Edo period to describe rootless, wandering individuals.
