1.
everyday occurrence; commonplace matter; routine event
Something so ordinary that it happens all the time and is not worth remarking on. Almost always used in the set phrase 日常茶飯事 (everyday occurrence). Literally refers to 'tea and rice matters' — things as routine as having tea and meals.
Almost exclusively used in the four-character compound 日常茶飯事. Using 茶飯事 alone is rare in modern Japanese. The literal meaning is 'tea and rice matters' — things as mundane as daily meals.
Common collocations
- 日常茶飯事だ — to be an everyday occurrence
- 日常茶飯事のように — as if it were routine
- 日常茶飯事になる — to become commonplace
Usage
Often used with a negative nuance — the thing described as 日常茶飯事 is usually something undesirable (delays, arguments, mistakes) that happens so often it is no longer surprising. Can also be used neutrally to describe something simply routine.
Etymology
茶 means tea and 飯 means a meal. Together they represent the most basic daily activities, so 茶飯事 means 'a matter as ordinary as having tea and rice.'