一寸

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
一	寸
いち > いっ Grade: 1	すん Grade: 6
on'yomi

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle Chinese compound 一寸 (yit tshwon^H, literally “one thumb, one inch”).

Noun

一(いっ)寸(すん) • (issun) 

1. one sun: a unit of length equivalent to a tenth of a 尺 (shaku, traditional Japanese foot as a unit of length), or approximately 3.03 centimeters
2. a short amount of time, distance, or mass

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 一寸先(いっすんさき) (issun saki): just a little bit ahead, just a moment in the future

Idioms

Idioms

• 一寸先(いっすんさき)は闇(やみ) (issun saki wa yami): “just a moment in the future is darkness” → the future is unknowable
• 一寸(いっすん)の光陰軽(こういんかろ)んずべからず (issun no kōin karonzu bekarazu): “a moment of light and dark should not be taken lightly” → every moment is precious
• 一寸(いっすん)の虫(むし)にも五分(ごぶ)の魂(たましい) (issun no mushi ni mo gobu no tamashī): “even a bug only an inch long is half [full of] soul” → even the smallest is worthy of respect
• 一寸下(いっすんした)は地獄(じごく) (issun shita wa jigoku): “an inch below is hell” → an allusion to the dangers of being on a boat, where only an inch of wood is between oneself and the deep ocean
• 一寸延(いっすんの)びれば尋延(ひろの)びる (issun no bireba hiro nobiru): “if it'll stretch an inch, it'll stretch for six feet” → if one can just get past the hardest part, the rest is relatively easy

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
一	寸
Grade: 1	Grade: 6
irregular

For pronunciation and definitions of 一寸 – see the following entry.

【ちょっとチョット】 [adverb] slightly, a little, a bit, somewhat [adverb] an indirect expression of refusal [interjection] hey, excuse me Alternative spellings 鳥渡, チョッと

(This term, 一寸, is an alternative spelling (uncommon) of the above term.)

Usage notes

This kanji spelling is an example of jukujikun (熟字訓).