白羽

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 白羽 is read as しらは and is literally a white feather, but in the idiom 白羽の矢が立つ it signals that a particular candidate has been selected.
• Basic usage: Use 白羽が三枚 for actual feathers and 人に白羽の矢が立つ for someone being chosen.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Do not translate the idiom literally
  • In the idiom, no arrow is literally standing; it means that someone has been singled out for a role or assignment.
• Particle for the selected person
  • In 白羽の矢が立つ, the chosen person is normally marked with に, not presented as the grammatical subject with が.