word
Japanese
mono no aware
MOH-noh noh ah-WAH-reh
ˌmoʊnoʊ noʊ ɑːˈwɑːreɪListen
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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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