1.
late development; late blooming; maturing late in life
Most commonly encountered in the idiom 大器晩成
大器晩成。
Great talents mature late.
彼は晩成の人で、40代で初めて成功した。
He was a late bloomer who first achieved success in his forties.
大器晩成という言葉を信じて、焦らずに努力を続けた。
Believing in the saying that great talents mature late, I continued to work hard without rushing.
Almost exclusively used in the four-character idiom 大器晩成 (literally "a great vessel takes long to complete"), which means that truly talented people often take time to reach their full potential. The concept originates from the Tao Te Ching.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 大器晩成: great talents mature late (proverb)
- 晩成の人: a late bloomer
- 晩成型: late-blooming type
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 早熟: precocious, early maturity (the opposite concept)
- 大器: a person of great potential (the subject who blooms late)
CULTURAL NOTE:
The expression 大器晩成 is frequently used to encourage people who have not yet found success, reminding them that some of the greatest achievements come later in life. It is a common theme in graduation speeches and motivational contexts.