門前雀羅を張る

Japanese

Kanji in this term
門	前	雀	羅	張
もん Grade: 2	ぜん Grade: 2	じゃく Jinmeiyō	ら Grade: S	は Grade: 5
on'yomi				kun'yomi

Etymology

• From Literary Chinese 門可羅雀 (ménkěluóquè).

Idiom

門(もん)前(ぜん)雀(じゃく)羅(ら)を張(は)る • (monzen jakura o haru) 

1. Desolated is a door when no guests come knocking. Lit. To hang a net on the door and use it to catch sparrows (as no guests ever come).

References

• The Kōjien (広辞苑) Dictionary of the Japanese Language, 5th edition, Iwanami Shoten Publishing, Tokyo.