<entry id="2343292" stat="A" corpus="jmdict" type="jmdict">
<ent_corp type="jmdict">jmdict</ent_corp>
<ent_seq>2866355</ent_seq>
<k_ele>
<keb>白髪三千丈</keb>
</k_ele>
<r_ele>
<reb>はくはつさんぜんじょう</reb>
</r_ele>
<sense>
<pos>&exp;</pos>
<xref type="see" seq="2145400">丈・じょう・1</xref>
<misc>&form;</misc>
<s_inf>oft. used hyperbolically</s_inf>
<gloss>many years of stress and anxiety (as would cause one's hair to grow white)</gloss>
<gloss g_type="lit">three-thousand jō of white hair (nine kilometers)</gloss>
</sense>
<info>
<audit time="2025-07-01 03:27:01" stat="A" unap="true">
<upd_name>Joe Murray</upd_name>
<upd_refs>https://kotobank.jp/word/%E7%99%BD%E9%AB%AA%E4%B8%89%E5%8D%83%E4%B8%88-600440#w-600440
https://imidas.jp/proverb/detail/X-02-C-26-2-0011.html

daijs, imidas

白髪三千丈	2748</upd_refs>
</audit>
<audit time="2025-07-01 03:27:51" stat="A" unap="true">
<upd_diff>@@ -12 +12 @@
-&lt;gloss&gt;many years of stress and anxiety (causing one's hair to grow white)&lt;/gloss&gt;
+&lt;gloss&gt;many years of stress and anxiety (as would cause one's hair to grow white)&lt;/gloss&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
<audit time="2025-07-01 20:58:19" stat="A" unap="true">
<upd_name>Joe Murray</upd_name>
<upd_detl>Also, I think the length conversion is right.</upd_detl>
<upd_refs>https://x.com/ShinAmamiya0907/status/1926763877842235517
https://x.com/JoeKoizumiBot/status/1906311667685990564

Looking at some twitter usage, it looks like this is used to express something that's way over the top or exaggerated. Maybe worth adding a note and a literal definition too like this?</upd_refs>
<upd_diff>@@ -11,0 +12 @@
+&lt;s_inf&gt;oft. used as an example of exaggeration for dramatic effect&lt;/s_inf&gt;
@@ -12,0 +14 @@
+&lt;gloss g_type="lit"&gt;ninety kilometers of white hair&lt;/gloss&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
<audit time="2025-07-02 08:19:03" stat="A" unap="true">
<upd_name>Sombrero1</upd_name>
<upd_detl>"as an example of exaggeration for dramatic effect" sounds a bit odd to me. I think that note can be shortened

I think if a lit gloss is used the original unit's name should be used in it

Maybe like this?</upd_detl>
<upd_refs>originated from a work of Li Bai, a Tang dynasty poet

Sankoku tags [form]

1丈 = 3.03m
三千丈 = 3000 x 3.03 = 9090

9090m = 9km if rounded
Sankoku agrees: 三千丈＝約九キロメートル


Shinsen: しらがが長くのびていることを大げさに表現した言葉。
Oukoku also has "exaggeration" in its gloss

Adding xref to the unit 丈, compare e.g. the entry for 小便一町糞一里 (a fabulous proverb if you ask me)

.</upd_refs>
<upd_diff>@@ -12 +12,3 @@
-&lt;s_inf&gt;oft. used as an example of exaggeration for dramatic effect&lt;/s_inf&gt;
+&lt;xref type="see" seq="2145400"&gt;丈・じょう・1&lt;/xref&gt;
+&lt;misc&gt;&amp;form;&lt;/misc&gt;
+&lt;s_inf&gt;oft. used hyperbolically&lt;/s_inf&gt;
@@ -14 +16 @@
-&lt;gloss g_type="lit"&gt;ninety kilometers of white hair&lt;/gloss&gt;
+&lt;gloss g_type="lit"&gt;three-thousand ryō of white hair (nine kilometers)&lt;/gloss&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
<audit time="2025-07-02 08:20:12" stat="A" unap="true">
<upd_name>Sombrero1</upd_name>
<upd_detl>Oops, sorry</upd_detl>
<upd_diff>@@ -16 +16 @@
-&lt;gloss g_type="lit"&gt;three-thousand ryō of white hair (nine kilometers)&lt;/gloss&gt;
+&lt;gloss g_type="lit"&gt;three-thousand jō of white hair (nine kilometers)&lt;/gloss&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
<audit time="2025-07-04 11:23:11" stat="A">
<upd_uid>jwb</upd_uid>
<upd_name>Jim Breen</upd_name>
<upd_email>...address hidden...</upd_email>
</audit>
</info>
</entry>