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Japanese

mono no aware

MOH-noh noh ah-WAH-reh

ˌmoʊnoʊ noʊ ɑːˈwɑːreɪ

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Syllable breakdown

mononoaware

Sounds like

Say 'MOH-noh noh ah-WAH-reh'.

Dictionary meaning

A Japanese phrase for the bittersweet awareness of impermanence; a gentle sadness at the transience of things.

History and origin

Japanese — 'mono' (things) + 'no' (possessive) + 'aware' (pathos, emotion).

Examples

  • Mono no aware is evoked by cherry blossoms, beautiful partly because they fall after just a week.

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