土壇場

Japanese

Kanji in this term
土	壇	場
ど Grade: 1	たん Grade: S	ば Grade: 2

Etymology

Originally, a platform made of dirt used to perform executions (decapitations) in the Edo period​

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) どたんば [dòtáńbá] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [do̞tã̠mba̠]

Noun

土(ど)壇(たん)場(ば) • (dotanba) 

1. (idiomatic) the last minute; the eleventh hour

Derived terms

• ドタキャン (dotakyan)

See also

• 独壇場(どくだんじょう) (dokudanjō)

References

• “土壇場”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026