What is the difference between "弊帚千金" and "一字千金"?

"弊帚千金" represents "To cherish something of little objective value simply because it is one's own (lit. 'my worn-out broom is worth a thousand gold pieces')." (Level: C2PLUS), while "一字千金" represents "a single character worth a thousand pieces of gold (referring to excellent writing or a valuable statement)" (Level: C2PLUS). They belong to the synonym comparative set.

synonym Comparative

弊帚千金

一字千金

Differences Between "弊帚千金" and "一字千金"

Option A

弊帚千金

Meaning

To cherish something of little objective value simply because it is one's own (lit. 'my worn-out broom is worth a thousand gold pieces').

Reading

へいそうせんきん

Syllabus Level

C2PLUS

Practical Example

毎日、日本語を練習するために弊帚千金。

Every day, I cherish something of little objective value simply because it is one's own (lit. 'my worn-out broom is worth a thousand gold pieces'). to practice Japanese.

Option B

一字千金

Meaning

a single character worth a thousand pieces of gold (referring to excellent writing or a valuable statement)

Reading

いちじせんきん

Syllabus Level

C2PLUS

Practical Example

私は一字千金に興味があります。

I am interested in a single character worth a thousand pieces of gold (referring to excellent writing or a valuable statement).

Which one to use?

Select the correct Japanese word for this context

Which word fits this context: "(To cherish something of little objective value simply because it is one's own (lit. 'my worn-out broom is worth a thousand gold pieces').)"?

🎉 正解 / Correct!

使い分け解説:
- 弊帚千金: Essential structural term in CEFR C2PLUS vocabulary syllabus. (CEFR C2PLUS語彙シラバスにおける重要表現です。)
- 一字千金: Essential structural term in CEFR C2PLUS vocabulary syllabus. (CEFR C2PLUS語彙シラバスにおける重要表現です。)

🦅

Want to boost your Japanese vocabulary?

Project Eagle automatically tracks and targets your weak words using AI. Practice thousands of operational exams completely for free!