時刻を刻む

jikoku o kizamu

to mark the passage of time

時計は時刻を刻み続けている。

The clock keeps marking the passage of time.

◆ What It Really Means

To record or emphasize the significance of time passing, often in a solemn or reflective context.

¶ Literal Meaning

to carve or mark time

Literal Breakdown

時刻time+刻むto carve or mark

◇ Mental Image

The mental picture of a chisel carving marks into stone or a clock's hands moving to record time, symbolizing permanence or significance.

◈ When to Use

Used in literature, poetry, or reflective writing to describe how moments or experiences are deeply embedded in memory or history.

◉ Cultural Note

In Japanese culture, the act of carving or marking time is often associated with permanence and the passage of life, reflecting a philosophical view of time as something that leaves lasting impressions.

literary

To record or mark time in a way that emphasizes its passage, often with a sense of solemnity or significance.

歴史は時刻を刻む石碑のようだ。

History is like a monument that marks the passage of time.

彼女の日記は、人生の時刻を刻む記録だった。

Her diary was a record that marked the passage of her life's time.

Often used metaphorically to describe how moments or experiences are recorded in memory or history.

Collocations

歴史を刻むto mark history記憶に時刻を刻むto etch time into memory

Synonyms

時を刻む時間を刻む時の流れを記録する

Related Phrases

時は流れるphrase

time flows

時の試練phrase

trial of time

Pro Tip

Metaphorical Use

時刻を刻む is often used metaphorically to describe how events or experiences are deeply ingrained in memory or history, similar to how marks are carved into stone.

Gold Rule

Literal vs. Figurative

時刻を刻む can be literal (e.g., a clock marking time) or figurative (e.g., a life event etched into memory). Context determines the meaning.

Word Origin

時刻 (jikoku, 'time') + 刻む (kizamu, 'to carve/engrave'). The phrase combines the literal sense of carving marks on a surface to record time with a metaphorical extension to recording moments in memory or history.

Usage Notes

Primarily used in literary or reflective contexts to emphasize the significance of time passing. Less common in everyday speech.

Word Breakdown

時刻

time (specific moment or time in general)

noun

を

object marker

particle

刻む

to carve, engrave, or mark

verb

和英辞典