Proverb / Kotowaza
石の上にも三年
Perseverance prevails; even a cold stone will eventually become warm if you sit on it long enough.
Three years even on top of a stone
Quick Answer
Perseverance prevails; even a cold stone will eventually become warm if you sit on it long enough.
- Literal Image
- Three years even on top of a stone
- Closest Equivalent
- Perseverance pays off
- How to Use It
- It is used to encourage someone to stay with a difficult task, job, or training for a significant period rather than giving up early. It emphasizes that mastery or results require sustained dedication over a long period.
Meaning
This proverb suggests that even if circumstances are difficult or painful, staying patient and persistent will eventually lead to success. The image of a cold stone warming up from body heat symbolizes how time and endurance can transform a harsh situation into a favorable one.
Literal Image
Three years even on top of a stone
Equivalent Proverbs
Perseverance pays off
General English expression for the same sentiment.
Slow and steady wins the race
Focuses on the value of consistency over time.
How to Use It
It is used to encourage someone to stay with a difficult task, job, or training for a significant period rather than giving up early. It emphasizes that mastery or results require sustained dedication over a long period.
Tone
Encouraging and moralizing, can be used as a piece of life advice for those facing initial hardships in a new endeavor.
Examples
入社したての頃は仕事についていくのが精一杯だったが、石の上にも三年という言葉を信じて努力を続けた結果、ようやく大きなプロジェクトを任せてもらえるようになった。
When I first joined the company, I struggled just to keep up with the work, but I kept putting in the effort, believing that perseverance prevails. As a result, I was finally entrusted with a major project.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses simple vocabulary like 'stone', 'top', and 'three years', but the particle 'mo' adds an idiomatic nuance to the endurance required.
石
いし / ishi
stone
上
うえ / ue
above; on top of
三年
さんねん / sannen
three years
Usage Profile
Misread Risk
Do not take 'three years' as a literal, fixed deadline; it represents a long period of time necessary for results to appear.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
The proverb comes from the observation that even a freezing stone will eventually warm up from a person's body temperature if they sit on it long enough. In this context, 'three years' is a symbolic number representing a long period. It is also associated with the rigors of Buddhist training, such as the story of Bodhidharma (Daruma Daishi), who performed zazen facing a wall for nine years (menpeki kyunen).
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