七転び八起き

Japanese

Kanji in this term
七	転	八	起
なな Grade: 1	ころ Grade: 3	や Grade: 1	お Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
七轉び八起き (kyūjitai)

Etymology

Literally “seven times falling down, eight times rising up”.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ななこ​ろび [nàná kóꜜròbì] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [na̠na̠ ko̞ɾo̞bʲi]

• (Tokyo) や​おき [yáꜜ òkì] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ja̠ o̞kʲi]

Idiom

七(なな)転(ころ)び八(や)起(お)き • (nana korobi ya oki) 

1. not giving up until succeeding
2. the ups and downs of life

Derived terms

• 七(しち)転(てん)八(はっ)起(き) (shichiten hakki)