Proverb / Kotowaza
七転び八起き
Getting back up no matter how many times one fails.
falling down seven times and getting up eight times
Quick Answer
Getting back up no matter how many times one fails.
- Literal Image
- falling down seven times and getting up eight times
- Closest Equivalent
- Fall seven times, stand up eight.
- How to Use It
- Used to encourage someone to persevere through hardships or to describe a person's resilient attitude towards life's challenges.
Meaning
This expression describes the resilience and determination to keep trying despite repeated setbacks. It emphasizes maintaining an indomitable spirit that refuses to give up after a failure, viewing each fall as an opportunity to rise again.
Literal Image
falling down seven times and getting up eight times
Equivalent Proverbs
Fall seven times, stand up eight.
A direct translation of the Japanese expression.
How to Use It
Used to encourage someone to persevere through hardships or to describe a person's resilient attitude towards life's challenges.
Tone
Positive and encouraging.
Examples
「七転び八起き」の精神で、最後まで諦めずに頑張ろう。
Let's work hard until the very end without giving up, with the spirit of "falling seven times and standing up eight."
人生は「七転び八起き」だ。失敗を恐れずに挑戦しよう。
Life is a series of ups and downs. Let's take on challenges without fearing failure.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The vocabulary consists of basic numbers and verbs, though the noun-based structure is idiomatic.
七
なな / nana
seven
転び
ころび / korobi
falling down; a fall
八
や / ya
eight
起き
おき / oki
getting up
Usage Profile
Misread Risk
The numbers seven and eight are not literal counts; they represent the idea of failing many times but always rising one more time.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
The expression is derived from the observation of children learning to walk. They repeatedly fall and stand up again and again until they finally succeed. This physical act of immediately rising after a fall became a metaphor for refusing to give up in the face of failure.
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Source Note
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