千載一遇(せんざいいちぐう)

せんざいいちぐう
noun, expression
once in a lifetime (chance); golden opportunity
formalidiomtime-general
1. once in a lifetime; rare golden (opportunity)
A four-character idiom meaning "a meeting that comes once in a thousand years": an extremely rare opportunity that must not be missed. Almost always used to describe a chance or opportunity.
千載一遇(せんざいいちぐう)のチャンスだ。
It's the chance of a lifetime.
千載一遇(せんざいいちぐう)の好機(こうき)を逃(のが)した。
I let a golden opportunity slip away.
憧(あこが)れの監督(かんとく)と一緒(いっしょ)に仕事(しごと)ができるなんて、千載一遇(せんざいいちぐう)のチャンスだと思(おも)った。
Getting to work with the director I admired felt like the chance of a lifetime.

千載(せんざい) (a thousand years) + 一遇(いちぐう) (one encounter). Used almost only before の to modify a word meaning "chance."

Common collocations

Similar words

Related Words

Compare: 一期一会(いちごいちえ) (treasuring each meeting as unique)
general
Added 2026.9.28 9:59 · Revised 2026.9.28 9:59
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