once in a blue moon

English

Etymology

See blue moon.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /wʌns ɪn ə bluː muːn/

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Adverb

once in a blue moon (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Very rarely; very infrequently.

Related terms

• blue moon

Translations

very rarely

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 千載難逢／千载难逢 (cin¹ zoi² naan⁴ fung⁴), 千载难逢 (cin¹ zoi² naan⁴ fung⁴), 十年唔逢一閏／十年唔逢一闰 (sap⁶ nin⁴ m⁴ fung⁴ jat¹ jeon⁶), 十年唔逢一闰 (sap⁶ nin⁴ m⁴ fung⁴ jat¹ jeon⁶)

  Mandarin: 千載難逢／千载难逢 (zh) (qiānzǎinánféng), 千载难逢 (zh) (qiānzǎinánféng)

• Czech: jednou za uherský rok (cs)
• Finnish: todella harvoin
• French: tous les trente-six du mois (fr) (on every thirty-sixth day of the month)
• Georgian: ათასში ერთხელ (atasši ertxel)
• German: alle Jubeljahre (de)
• Greek: στη χάση και στη φέξη (el) (sti chási kai sti féxi)
• Italian: una volta ogni morte di papa, ogni morte di papa
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: ごくまれに (gokumare ni)
• Polish: raz na ruski rok (pl), od wielkiego dzwonu (pl)
• Portuguese: de vez em nunca
• Russian: раз в сто ле́т (raz v sto lét) (once every hundred years)
• Scottish Gaelic: uair san ràith
• Slovak: raz za uhorský rok
• Spanish: cada muerte de obispo (es), de guindas a brevas, de higos a brevas, de Pascuas a Ramos (es), de ciento a viento (es), de ciento en viento (es)
• Thai: มากไม่ค่อย
• Turkish: kırk yılda bir