Proverb / Kotowaza
十年一昔
Ten years is enough time for the world to change completely.
Ten years is one past era.
Quick Answer
Ten years is enough time for the world to change completely.
- Literal Image
- Ten years is one past era.
- Closest Equivalent
- Ten years make a generation.
- How to Use It
- Used when reflecting on how much things have changed after a long period, such as when meeting old friends or revisiting a familiar place.
Meaning
In the span of ten years, society and people change so drastically that the world from a decade ago feels like ancient history. It expresses how swiftly time passes and how quickly things transform.
Literal Image
Ten years is one past era.
Equivalent Proverbs
Ten years make a generation.
Expresses a similar sentiment about the span of time required for a distinct era of change.
How to Use It
Used when reflecting on how much things have changed after a long period, such as when meeting old friends or revisiting a familiar place.
Tone
Reflective and slightly nostalgic.
Examples
卒業してから10年後の同窓会に出席したが、「十年一昔」で皆の顔も変わり、話の内容も様変わりしていた。
I attended my class reunion ten years after graduation, but as 'ten years is an era', everyone's faces had changed, and the topics of conversation were completely different.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses simple kanji, but recognizing the specific idiomatic meaning of the compound requires familiarity with its structural usage.
十年
じゅうねん / juunen
ten years, a decade
一昔
ひとむかし / hitomukashi
a decade ago, long ago, a past era
Usage Profile
Misread Risk
Do not use it to simply mean 'the past'; it specifically implies that ten years brings about a profound, noticeable change.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
The proverb expresses that when ten years pass, the state of the world transforms completely, changing so much that it feels like 'long ago.' It is a phrase born from realizing the speed of changing eras and the heavy flow of time.
Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
Situations
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Source Note
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