背に腹は代えられない

Japanese
Kanji in this term
背 腹 代
せ
Grade: 6		 はら
Grade: 6		 か
Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Etymology

Literally, “the back cannot be swapped for the stomach”.[1]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [se̞ ɲ̟i ha̠ɾa̠ ɰᵝa̠ ka̠e̞ɾa̠ɾe̞na̠i]

Idiom

背(せ)に腹(はら)は代(か)えられない • (se ni hara wa kaerarenai) 

  1. you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs

References
  1. Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
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