KANAE
073Japanese proverb ことわざ

渡りに船

Watari ni fune

“A boat just when you need to cross.”

The meaning

When opportunity appears at the right moment, you still must board. Recognizing the boat — and not letting it pass — is an art.

At the origin

A traditional proverb about timely opportunities.

The characters

  1. 渡り wataricrossing
  2. niat, for

The complete word-by-word reading, in KANAE.

ParticleThe point of arrival: a place, a moment, a destination.

In practice

An offer comes at the perfect time? Decide quickly: boats do not wait.

Themes

Similar proverbs

Related expressions

See also