さじを投げる

• Reading: さじをなげる
• Romaji: saji wo nageru
• Kanji breakdown: 投 (tō/na) — throw, cast; げる (geru) — verb ending
• Pronunciation: /sa.dʑi.o.na.ge.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To give up on something as hopeless; to throw in the towel. Used when abandoning an effort after concluding nothing more can be done.

An idiomatic expression originally from medicine, referring to a doctor throwing away their medicine spoon when a patient is beyond treatment. A Group 2 (ichidan) compound expression where 投げる conjugates regularly. Common in both spoken and written Japanese to express resignation.

Examples

1. 何度教えても覚えないので、先生もさじを投げた。 No matter how many times the teacher explained it, the student just wouldn't remember, so the teacher finally gave up.
2. 医者がさじを投げるほど重い病気だった。 It was such a serious illness that even the doctor threw in the towel.
3. 彼はすぐにさじを投げてしまう性格だ。 He has a tendency to give up at the first sign of trouble.

Usage Guide

Context: daily conversation, storytelling, frustration

Tone: resigned

Origin & History

From the medical practice of traditional Chinese medicine in Japan, where a doctor would literally throw away the medicine spoon (匙) when a patient was deemed untreatable.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal