Proverb / Kotowaza
一朝一夕
A very short period of time.
One morning, one evening.
Quick Answer
A very short period of time.
- Literal Image
- One morning, one evening.
- How to Use It
- Used to emphasize that acquiring skills, building trust, or solving complex problems requires long-term effort and cannot be done overnight.
Meaning
This expression refers to an extremely brief period, literally meaning just a single morning and a single evening. It is paired with negative words to emphasize that something significant or difficult cannot be accomplished easily or in a short amount of time.
Literal Image
One morning, one evening.
How to Use It
Used to emphasize that acquiring skills, building trust, or solving complex problems requires long-term effort and cannot be done overnight.
Tone
used with negative phrasing to offer a realistic reminder of the time required for major tasks.
Examples
長年の努力が必要な技術は、一朝一夕で身につくものではない。
A skill that requires years of effort is not something that can be mastered overnight.
信頼関係というものは、一朝一夕に築けるものではなく、日々の積み重ねが大切だ。
A relationship of trust is not something that can be built in a short time; daily accumulation is important.
この複雑な問題を一朝一夕に解決するのは不可能に近い。
It is nearly impossible to solve this complex problem overnight.
彼の成功は才能だけでなく、一朝一夕ならぬ地道な努力の賜物だ。
His success is the result not only of talent, but of steady effort that did not happen overnight.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Standard four-character idiom composed of simple kanji for numbers and times of day.
一朝
いっちょう / itcho
one morning
一夕
いっせき / isseki
one evening
Usage Profile
Usage note: Remember that it is used with negative verbs to say that something cannot be done in a short time.
Misread Risk
Do not use it to describe something that can actually be done quickly; its primary function is to deny that a quick fix or rapid progress is possible.
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Origin
This expression originates from the Chinese classic 'I Ching' (Book of Changes). In the Kun hexagram, a passage states that extreme acts, such as a minister killing his lord or a child killing their father, do not happen in a single morning or evening. Rather, the causes build up gradually over time. From this context of causes forming over time rather than suddenly, the phrase came to refer to a very short period of time.
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