一期一会
Meaning: Once-in-a-lifetime encounter; a reminder to treasure every meeting as if it will never happen again.
Rooted in tea ceremony philosophy, 一期一会 has become a widely used phrase expressing the preciousness of each moment and encounter. Modern usage extends beyond tea to everyday life — people use it on social media after concerts, trips, or chance meetings. It carries a bittersweet beauty, combining appreciation with the awareness that the moment is fleeting.
Examples
- 旅先での出会いってまさに一期一会だよね。 旅途中的相遇正是一期一会呢。Los encuentros durante un viaje son verdaderamente irrepetibles, ¿no crees?여행지에서의 만남이야말로 일기일회지.
- 一期一会の精神で、今日のライブ全力で楽しもう。 抱着一期一会的心态,今天的演出全力享受吧。Con el espíritu de que cada momento es único, vamos a disfrutar al máximo del concierto de hoy.일기일회의 정신으로, 오늘 라이브 전력으로 즐기자.
- あの人との出会いは一期一会だったなって今でも思う。 和那个人的相遇就是一期一会,我至今还这样觉得。Aún hoy pienso que aquel encuentro fue verdaderamente irrepetible.그 사람과의 만남은 일기일회였다고 지금도 생각해.
Pronunciation
/i.tɕi.ɡo i.tɕi.e/
Usage Guide
Context: travel, social media, events, philosophical reflection
Tone: poetic, appreciative, bittersweet
✓ Do Say
- 一期一会だと思って大切にしたい (I want to treasure this as a once-in-a-lifetime encounter)我想把这次当作一期一会来珍惜(我想将这次作为一生一次的相遇来珍惜)一期一会だと思って大切にしたい (Quiero atesorarlo como un encuentro irrepetible)一期一会だと思って大切にしたい (일생에 한 번뿐인 만남이라 생각하고 소중히 하고 싶어)
- フェスで出会った人たちと一期一会の思い出ができた (Made once-in-a-lifetime memories with people I met at the festival)和在音乐节认识的人创造了一期一会的回忆(和在音乐节遇到的人留下了一生一次的回忆)フェスで出会った人たちと一期一会の思い出ができた (Hice recuerdos irrepetibles con las personas que conocí en el festival)フェスで出会った人たちと一期一会の思い出ができた (페스티벌에서 만난 사람들과 일생일대의 추억을 만들었어)
✗ Don't Say
- 毎日会う同僚に「一期一会ですね」は大げさ (Saying 一期一会 to coworkers you see daily sounds overly dramatic)对每天见面的同事说「一期一会ですね」太夸张了(对每天见面的同事说一期一会听起来过于戏剧化)毎日会う同僚に「一期一会ですね」は大げさ (Decir 一期一会 a compañeros que ves a diario suena exageradamente dramático)매일 보는 동료에게 「一期一会ですね」는 과하다 (매일 보는 동료에게 一期一会ですね라고 하면 과하게 들린다)
Common Mistakes
- Overusing it for routine encounters — it is best reserved for genuinely special or unrepeatable meetings
- Pronouncing it as いちき instead of いちご for the first half
Origin & History
Coined by tea master Sen no Rikyū's disciple Yamanoue Sōji in the 16th century. From tea ceremony philosophy: treat every gathering as a once-in-a-lifetime event. 一期 (one lifetime) + 一会 (one meeting).
Cultural Context
Era: 16th century tea ceremony origins, widely popularised in modern era
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. One of the most famous four-character idioms (四字熟語). Frequently seen on calligraphy, souvenirs, and social media captions.
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