Proverb / Kotowaza
糸の切れた凧
To wander aimlessly or lose one's direction in life.
A kite with a cut string.
Quick Answer
To wander aimlessly or lose one's direction in life.
- Literal Image
- A kite with a cut string.
- How to Use It
- Used to describe a person who has wandered off, lost contact, or lost their purpose and direction in life.
Meaning
This proverb refers to a kite that has snapped its string and flies off uncontrollably, making it impossible to predict where it will go. It serves as a metaphor for a person wandering about aimlessly or becoming untraceable. It can also describe someone who has lost their previously clear goal, resulting in an unstable state that lacks clear direction.
Literal Image
A kite with a cut string.
How to Use It
Used to describe a person who has wandered off, lost contact, or lost their purpose and direction in life.
Tone
Descriptive or cautionary, highlighting instability, drift, or loss of purpose.
Examples
家を出たきり連絡もよこさず、まるで糸の切れた凧のような息子だ。
He is a son who left home, never contacted us, and is just like a kite with a cut string.
会社を辞めてからというもの、糸の切れた凧のようにふらふらしている。
Ever since quitting the company, they have been wandering aimlessly like a kite with a cut string.
目標を見失った彼は、糸の切れた凧のように何をしていいか分からなくなった。
Having lost sight of his goal, he became unsure of what to do, just like a kite with a cut string.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses words and forms a very clear, easy-to-visualize metaphor.
糸
いと / ito
string, thread
切れた
きれた / kireta
cut, snapped (past tense of kireru)
凧
たこ / tako
kite
Usage Profile
Misread Risk
Do not use this to describe physical freedom or positive independence; it specifically implies an unstable, aimless, or disconnected state.
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Source Note
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