堂々巡り

• 読み: どうどうめぐり
• ローマ字: doudoumeguri
• 漢字の分解: 堂 (do/tou) — hall, temple; 巡 (jun/megu) — going around, touring
• 発音: /doː.doː.me.ɡɯ.ɾi/

意味

Going round in circles; a discussion or negotiation that keeps returning to the same point without resolution. Getting nowhere despite continued effort.

A noun and suru-verb. 堂々巡りになる describes a situation where a debate or process moves continuously in a loop without producing conclusions or progress. Originates from the act of walking repeatedly around a temple hall (堂) as an act of prayer. Used critically in business, politics, and everyday speech to describe unproductive circular argumentation.

例文

1. 議論は堂々巡りになり、何時間話しても結論が出なかった。
2. 同じ問題を何度も繰り返す堂々巡りから抜け出すには、発想の転換が必要だ。
3. 交渉は堂々巡りの様相を呈し、双方ともに疲弊していた。

使い方ガイド

場面: business meetings, negotiations, political discourse, everyday conversation

トーン: critical

起源と歴史

From 堂 (do — hall, temple) and 巡り (meguri — going around, circling). Originally described the religious practice of walking circles around a temple hall. The metaphor of purposeless circular movement was later applied to unproductive repetitive discussion.

文化的背景

時代: Traditional to Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal