An Expression For When Things are Ending : Japanese Study Notes – 17 Mar 24

Japanese Study Notes

WaniKani (Kanji + Vocab) Session #1 (25 mins)

WaniKani (Kanji + Vocab) Session #2 (15 mins)

ハリーポッター賢者の石 (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) Audiobook listen + read + shadow (10 mins)

WaniKani (Kanji + Vocab) Session #3 (10 mins)

WaniKani (Kanji + Vocab) Session #4 (10 mins)

ハリーポッター賢者の石 (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) Audiobook listen + read + shadow (15 mins)

Japanese Toastmasters Speech Contest (2 hrs)

WaniKani (Kanji + Vocab) Session #5 (10 mins)

Idiom 一巻の終わり (pronounced “ikkan no owari”)

The Japanese idiom 一巻の終わり (pronounced “ikkan no owari”) literally means “the end of the first volume.” However, it is figuratively used to mean “the end of the beginning” or “the end of the road.”

The idiom is thought to have originated from the traditional Japanese bookbinding style, in which books were bound in multiple volumes. The first volume of a book would typically contain the introduction and the beginning of the story, while the subsequent volumes would contain the rest of the story. As such, the end of the first volume would represent a significant turning point in the story, and it would be a point of no return for the characters.

The idiom is often used in a negative sense, to suggest that something is coming to an end or that something is about to fail. For example, you might say 一巻の終わりだ to describe a situation in which a company is about to go bankrupt or a relationship is about to end.

However, the idiom can also be used in a positive sense, to suggest that something is about to begin or that something is about to change. For example, you might say 一巻の終わりだ to describe a situation in which you are about to start a new job or move to a new city.

Here are some examples of how the idiom 一巻の終わり can be used in a sentence:

• 会社が倒産するかもしれない。一巻の終わりだ。 (The company might go bankrupt. It’s the end of the road.)
• 彼氏と別れた。一巻の終わりだ。 (I broke up with my boyfriend. It’s the end of an era.)
• 大学を卒業して、新しい生活を始める。一巻の終わりだ。 (I’m graduating from college and starting a new life. It’s the end of the beginning.)
• 会社を辞めて、起業する。一巻の終わりだ。 (I’m quitting my job and starting my own business. It’s the end of the road.)

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