Proverb / Kotowaza
商人と屛風は直ぐには立たぬ
Success in business requires flexibility rather than rigid honesty.
Merchants and folding screens do not stand straight.
Quick Answer
Success in business requires flexibility rather than rigid honesty.
- Literal Image
- Merchants and folding screens do not stand straight.
- How to Use It
- This expression is used when discussing the necessity of compromise or flexibility in business negotiations and professional dealings.
Meaning
Just as a folding screen must be bent to stand upright, a merchant cannot succeed if they are always perfectly straight and rigid. It teaches that adaptability, compromise, and sometimes clever maneuvering are essential for business survival and long-term success.
Literal Image
Merchants and folding screens do not stand straight.
How to Use It
This expression is used when discussing the necessity of compromise or flexibility in business negotiations and professional dealings.
Tone
A pragmatic and realistic observation of business tactics.
Examples
「値引き交渉には応じたくないが、商人と屛風は直ぐには立たぬ。長期取引のためには柔軟さも必要だ」と彼は割り切った。
"I don't want to agree to a price discount, but merchants and folding screens do not stand straight. I've accepted that flexibility is necessary for a long-term relationship," he decided.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses the archaic negative verb form 'tatanu' and the specific term 'akindo' for merchant. The pun on 'sugu' (straight/upright) is idiomatic.
商人
あきんど / akindo
merchant / shopkeeper
屛風
びょうぶ / byoubu
folding screen
直ぐ
すぐ / sugu
straight / upright
立たぬ
たたぬ / tatanu
does not stand
Usage Profile
Usage note: While it encourages flexibility, be careful not to use it as a justification for blatant dishonesty.
Misread Risk
In modern Japanese, 'sugu' means 'immediately', but here it refers to being physically 'straight' or 'upright'.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
A folding screen (byoubu) will fall over if it is placed in a perfectly straight line; it can only stand on its own by being bent or zig-zagged. This physical property serves as a metaphor for the business world, suggesting that a merchant who is too rigid or strictly honest (upright) will fail, and that flexibility (yuuzuu) is the key to success.
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Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.