転々(てんてん)

てんてん

adverb

from place to place; wandering; changing repeatedly

See also: 点々(てんてん) (dotted; scattered)

1. from place to place; wandering about

Moving repeatedly from one location to another.

I wandered from place to place looking for work.

He keeps changing his address repeatedly.

Frequent relocation

I traveled from place to place.

2. changing hands repeatedly

Passing from one owner or possessor to another multiple times.

This painting has changed hands many times.

This land changed owners repeatedly.

The stolen goods were sold from person to person.

転々(てんてん) is a reduplication of 転(てん) (to roll; to turn; to change), describing repeated movement or transfer.

This word often implies instability or restlessness - someone who can't settle down or something that keeps getting passed around.

点々(てんてん) - has the same reading but different meaning (here and there; dotted about). Different kanji.

general

Added 2026.1.13 16:20 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

03500/03975_tenten