て
手
も
持
　
ち
ぶ
無
さ
沙
た
汰

noun, adjectival noun or quasi-adjective

  1. having nothing to do, having time on one's hands (and not knowing what to do), being at a loose end, being bored.

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
て
手
も
持
　
ち
ぶ
無
さ
沙
た
汰
 手持ち無沙汰 てもちぶさた
て
手
も
持
　
ち
　
ぶ
　
さ
　
た
 手持ちぶさた てもちぶさた
て
手
もち
持
ぶ
無
さ
沙
た
汰
 手持無沙汰 てもちぶさた

Contained Kanji Breakdown

hand
て　シュ　ズ (1st, N4)
hold, have
も.つ　ジ　もち (3rd, N4)
hand, hand radical (no. 64)
シュ
Buddhist temple
てら　ジ (2nd, N2)
soil, earth, ground
ド　つち　は (1st, N5)
measurement, tenth of a shaku, a little
スン　す　みき (6th, N1)
nothingness, none, ain't
ム　ブ　な.い (4th)
person(人) variant
40, forty
シュウ　よんじゅう　しじゅう
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ　いっ　ひと- (1st, N5)
fire, fire radical (no. 86)
ヒョウ　カ
sand
サ　シャ　すな (11th, N1)
water, water radical (no. 85)
さんずい
few, little
すこ.し　ショウ　すく.ない (2nd, N4)
little, small
ショウ　こ-　ちい.さい (1st, N5)
feathered stick, barb radical (no. 6)
ケツ　かぎ (Kentei 1)
eight, eight radical (no. 12)
ハチ　や　はっ (1st, N5)
katakana no radical (no. 4)
ヘツ　えい　よう (Kentei 1)
washing, sieving, filtering
タ　タイ　おご.る (11th, N1)
water, water radical (no. 85)
さんずい
plump, thick, big around
タイ　ふと.い　タ (2nd, N3)
large, big
ダイ　おお-　た (1st, N5)
one, one radical (no.1)
イチ　いっ　ひと- (1st, N5)
person
ひと　ニン　ジン (1st, N5)
dot, tick or dot radical (no. 3)
チュ (Kentei 1)