一刻

Japanese JLPT N1 Vocabulary Japanese ★★★ 3/5 neutral いっこくikkoku
Reading いっこく
Romaji ikkoku
Kanji breakdown 一 (ichi) — one; 刻 (koku/kizamu) — moment, to engrave, to carve
Pronunciation /ik.ko.kɯ/

Meaning

A moment; an instant; a brief period of time. Also used as a na-adjective meaning stubborn or headstrong.

The temporal meaning appears in expressions like 一刻も早く (as soon as possible; without a moment's delay). The secondary meaning of stubborn or obstinate applies to a person's character, as in 一刻者 (a headstrong person). Context determines which reading is intended. Both uses are found at N1 level.

Examples

  1. 一刻も早く現場に駆けつけなければならない。 We must rush to the scene without a moment's delay.
  2. 父は一刻者で、なかなか人の意見を聞かない。 My father is headstrong and rarely listens to other people's opinions.
  3. 一刻の猶予もなく、すぐに決断を下すことが求められた。 There was not a moment to spare, and an immediate decision was required.

Usage Guide

Context: expressions, character description, urgency, idiomatic usage

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Classical Chinese. 一刻 originally referred to a unit of time in traditional East Asian timekeeping (roughly 15 minutes). It evolved into an expression for any brief, precious moment, and separately into an adjective for inflexibility.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal

Related Phrases

年度 Fiscal year; academic year; official year. A defined annual period used for administrative, educational, or financial purposes, often not aligned with the calendar year. 昭和 The Shōwa era; the imperial reign period of Emperor Hirohito, spanning 1926 to 1989. One of the longest and most historically eventful eras in Japanese history. 歴史的 Historic; historical. Describes something of great historical significance, or something related to history in general. 元号 Era name; the official name given to a reign period in the Japanese imperial system. Japan currently uses the era Reiwa, which began in 2019. 干支 The Chinese zodiac; the traditional sexagenary cycle combining the ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches. Also used colloquially to refer to one's zodiac animal sign. 年号 Era name; Japanese era designation. An official name given to a reign period in the traditional Japanese calendar system. 年度末 End of the fiscal year or academic year; year-end in the Japanese administrative calendar. Typically refers to late March. 戦前 Pre-war; the period before a war. In Japanese, typically refers to Japan before World War II, particularly before 1937 or 1941.
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