晩成(ばんせい)

ばんせい
noun
late development; late blooming; maturing late in life
time-generalchange
1. late development; late blooming; maturing late in life
Most commonly encountered in the idiom 大器晩成(たいきばんせい)
大器(たいき)晩成(ばんせい)。
Great talents mature late.
彼(かれ)は晩成(ばんせい)の人(ひと)で、40代(だい)で初(はじ)めて成功(せいこう)した。
He was a late bloomer who first achieved success in his forties.
大器(たいき)晩成(ばんせい)という言葉(ことば)を信(しん)じて、焦(あせ)らずに努力(どりょく)を続(つづ)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(たいき)晩成(ばんせい) (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(たいき)晩成(ばんせい): great talents mature late (proverb)
  • 晩成(ばんせい)の人(ひと): a late bloomer
  • 晩成(ばんせい)型(がた): late-blooming type

Similar words

Cultural note

The expression 大器(たいき)晩成(ばんせい) 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.

Related Words

Compare: 早熟(そうじゅく) (precocious, early maturity)
Compare: 大器(たいき) (a person of great potential)
general
Added 2026.4.30 23:21 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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