Proverb / Kotowaza
一銭を笑う者は一銭に泣く
If you ridicule or waste even a tiny amount of money, you will eventually suffer for the lack of it.
Those who laugh at one cent will weep for one cent
Quick Answer
If you ridicule or waste even a tiny amount of money, you will eventually suffer for the lack of it.
- Literal Image
- Those who laugh at one cent will weep for one cent
- Closest Equivalent
- Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves
- How to Use It
- Used to advise someone to save money or to warn against being wasteful with small change. It can also be applied more to emphasize that small details or minor issues should not be ignored.
Meaning
This proverb warns that treating small sums of money with contempt or neglect leads to situations where one eventually faces hardship for wanting that very amount. It teaches that neglecting small things can lead to great regret later on, emphasizing the importance of valuing everything, no matter how small.
Literal Image
Those who laugh at one cent will weep for one cent
Equivalent Proverbs
Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves
Shares the same lesson about valuing small amounts, though the English version focuses on growth while the Japanese focuses on the consequence of neglect.
How to Use It
Used to advise someone to save money or to warn against being wasteful with small change. It can also be applied more to emphasize that small details or minor issues should not be ignored.
Tone
The tone is cautionary and serves as a moral lesson about financial discipline.
Examples
たった一円でも大切にしなければいけない。一銭を笑う者は一銭に泣くというではないか。
You must value even a single yen. As the saying goes, those who laugh at one cent will weep for one cent.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The vocabulary is straightforward (laugh, cry, person), but the structure uses the classical 'mono wa' pattern and the obsolete currency unit 'issen'.
一銭
いっせん / issen
one sen (1/100th of a yen); a trivial amount
笑う
わらう / warau
to laugh; to ridicule
者
もの / mono
person; one who (does something)
泣く
なく / naku
to cry; to suffer hardship
Usage Profile
Usage note: While it uses the word 'laugh,' it refers to mocking or neglecting the value of money, not literal laughter.
Misread Risk
Do not take 'issen' literally as a specific coin to be saved; it symbolizes any small, seemingly insignificant resource or detail.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
This teaching emphasizes that those who look down on even a single sen (a tiny amount of money) will eventually face hardship for lacking that very amount. Handed down since the Edo period, the expression stresses the importance of money and contains a warning not to underestimate small things.
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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.