Proverb / Kotowaza
舟に刻みて剣を求む
Refers to being stubbornly inflexible and failing to adapt to changing circumstances.
Marking the boat to find the sword
Quick Answer
Refers to being stubbornly inflexible and failing to adapt to changing circumstances.
- Literal Image
- Marking the boat to find the sword
- How to Use It
- Used to criticize someone who relies on outdated logic or refuses to change their approach despite a shift in environment or context.
Meaning
This expression describes someone who is so fixated on specific details or old methods that they cannot react appropriately as situations evolve. It serves as a warning against the foolishness of strictly following outdated rules or traditions while ignoring the reality of the present.
Literal Image
Marking the boat to find the sword
How to Use It
Used to criticize someone who relies on outdated logic or refuses to change their approach despite a shift in environment or context.
Tone
This expression carries a critical and cautionary tone regarding a lack of flexibility.
Examples
時代が変わったのに昔のやり方に固執するのは、舟に刻みて剣を求むようなものだ。
Clinging to old ways even though times have changed is like marking the boat to find a lost sword.
十年前のマニュアルで対応しようとするのは舟に刻みて剣を求むに等しい。
Trying to handle things using a ten-year-old manual is equivalent to marking the side of a boat to find a sword.
舟に刻みて剣を求むことなく、変化に柔軟に対応すべきだ。
Instead of stubbornly following old marks, we should respond flexibly to changes.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses literary grammar including the classical 'te' form for 'kizamite' and the conclusive 'u' form for 'motomu', combined with an idiomatic concept from classical Chinese literature.
舟
ふね / fune
boat
刻む
きざむ / kizamu
to carve or mark
剣
けん / ken
sword
求める
もとめる / motomeru
to seek or look for
Usage Profile
Usage note: This is a literary proverb that is rarely used in casual daily conversation.
Misread Risk
This is a metaphorical warning about mental flexibility; it should not be taken literally as advice regarding boats or weapons.
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Source Note
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