Proverb / Kotowaza
夫婦は二世
The bond between a husband and wife lasts not only in this life but continues into the next life.
A married couple is for two worlds
Quick Answer
The bond between a husband and wife lasts not only in this life but continues into the next life.
- Literal Image
- A married couple is for two worlds
- Closest Equivalent
- A good marriage is heaven on earth
- How to Use It
- Used to describe couples who share an inseparable bond or to emphasize that marriage is a deep connection that transcends temporary conflicts and continues through time.
Meaning
This expression suggests that the connection between a married couple is deep and eternal. Based on Buddhist concepts of existence, it views the relationship as something that spans this present world and the world to come, emphasizing that the tie is more than a temporary arrangement.
Literal Image
A married couple is for two worlds
Equivalent Proverbs
A good marriage is heaven on earth
Focuses on the bliss of marriage rather than the eternal duration.
How to Use It
Used to describe couples who share an inseparable bond or to emphasize that marriage is a deep connection that transcends temporary conflicts and continues through time.
Tone
Reflective and serious, can be used when admiring a long-lasting relationship or reaffirming a commitment.
Examples
どんなに喧嘩をしても、あの二人はいつも仲直りをする。夫婦は二世とはよく言ったものだ。
No matter how much they fight, those two always make up. It's just like the saying: a married couple is for two worlds.
あの夫婦は歳をとっても仲睦まじく、まさに夫婦は二世を体現している。
That couple remains close even as they age; they truly embody the idea that a marital bond lasts through two lives.
離婚を考えたこともあったが、夫婦は二世というように、縁があるから一緒になったのだと思い直した。
I considered divorce, but then I remembered the saying that couples are for two worlds and realized we were brought together by a deep fate.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses basic kanji like husband and wife, but the concept of 'nise' (two worlds) and the underlying Buddhist philosophical context require cultural understanding.
夫婦
ふうふ / fufu
married couple; husband and wife
二世
にせ / nise
two lives; two worlds (present and next)
Usage Profile
Usage note: Avoid using it in contexts where someone is actively seeking a divorce, as it may sound dismissive of their current struggles.
Misread Risk
Do not interpret this as a literal scientific claim about reincarnation; it is a metaphorical expression of the depth and permanence of the marital bond.
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Origin
This expression is rooted in a Buddhist worldview involving the concept of 'Sanze' (Three Worlds: past, present, and future). While the phrase 'fufu wa isse' (a couple for one life) exists, 'nise' (two lives) refers to the idea that the marital bond continues from this world into the next. It reflects the deep importance and perceived eternal nature of the marriage contract in historical Japanese thought.
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