1.
brief moment, fleeting instant
A very short period of time. Emphasizes the transience or brevity of an experience, often with a poignant or wistful nuance.
束の間の休息だった。
It was a brief moment of rest.
雨が止んで、束の間の晴れ間が広がった。
The rain stopped, and a brief clearing spread across the sky.
束の間の幸せだったが、あの時間は忘れられない。
It was a fleeting happiness, but I can never forget that time.
USAGE:
Typically used as a noun modifier with the の particle: 束の間の + noun. Carries a literary, slightly melancholy tone — the happiness or peace described is precious precisely because it is so short. Common in written prose and narration.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 束の間の平和: a fleeting peace
- 束の間の幸せ: fleeting happiness
- 束の間の休息: a brief rest
ETYMOLOGY:
束 originally referred to the width of a clenched fist (about 7-8 cm), used as a unit of measurement. 束の間 literally means "the space of a fist" — metaphorically, an extremely short time.