Japanese Word · Intermediate
伸るか反るか
make or break, win or lose, sink or swim, all or nothing, go big or go home
Pronunciation: [no̞ɾɯ̟ ka̠ so̞ɾɯ̟ ka̠]
Meaning
make or break, win or lose, sink or swim, all or nothing, go big or go home
Example
『 […] 出来るか出来ないか、のるかそるか、自分の一生を棒に振るかも知れないが、兎に角やつて見やう』かう言つて机にかじりつくやうにして本を読んだり筆を執つたりして来た。
“ […] Whether I can do it or not, sink or swim, I might ruin my own life, but I’m going to try anyway.” That is what I said to myself
Practice tips
- Practice 伸るか反るか out loud — read the pronunciation guide above and repeat.
- Use it in your own sentence today; reuse beats rereading.
- Pay attention to context: this Japanese word is for intermediate-level learners.