Proverb / Kotowaza
蛇に噛まれて朽ち縄に怖じる
Becoming excessively fearful of harmless things that resemble a past traumatic experience.
To be bitten by a snake and fear a rotten rope.
Quick Answer
Becoming excessively fearful of harmless things that resemble a past traumatic experience.
- Literal Image
- To be bitten by a snake and fear a rotten rope.
- Closest Equivalent
- Once bitten, twice shy
- How to Use It
- Used to describe someone who is being over-cautious or unable to move forward due to a past negative experience.
Meaning
This proverb describes a state where a person who has suffered a painful or frightening ordeal becomes overly cautious. They may experience intense fear when encountering something that merely looks like the cause of their past trauma, even if the object is actually harmless.
Literal Image
To be bitten by a snake and fear a rotten rope.
Equivalent Proverbs
Once bitten, twice shy
Both expressions describe being overly cautious after a painful experience.
How to Use It
Used to describe someone who is being over-cautious or unable to move forward due to a past negative experience.
Tone
Can be used to describe a state of trauma or excessive caution, sometimes with a nuance of pointing out that the fear is disproportionate to the current situation.
Examples
一度事故にあってから車に乗れなくなった。蛇に噛まれて朽ち縄に怖じるというやつだ。
I haven't been able to get into a car since my accident. It's like they say: once bitten by a snake, you fear even a rotten rope.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses the passive form 'kamarete' and the literary verb 'ojiru'. 'Kuchinawa' is specific vocabulary for a rotten rope.
蛇
へび / hebi
snake
噛まれて
かまれて / kamarete
being bitten
朽ち縄
くちなわ / kuchinawa
rotten rope
怖じる
おじる / ojiru
to fear; to be frightened
Usage Profile
Usage note: Use carefully to ensure the nuance of trauma or deep-seated fear is appropriately conveyed.
Misread Risk
Avoid using it for minor mistakes; it implies a deep-seated fear or trauma resulting from a significant negative event.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
The expression comes from the observation that a person who has been bitten by a snake will mistake a rotten rope (kuchinawa) for a snake and become frightened by it.
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