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Proverbs & idioms

1355 entries

Japanese proverbs (ことわざ), four-character idioms (四字熟語), and idioms — from JMdict.

Proverbs Four-character idioms Idioms

Theme:All themes Animal198 Body462 Nature244 Food106 Emotion100 Money58 Time77 Number592 Color85

歯が浮くはがうくto have one's teeth set on edge; to become annoyed
歯が立たないはがたたないunable to compete with; not able to make a dent in (e.g. a problem); not able to get a solid hit in (e.g. in a fight)
歯に衣を着せないはにきぬをきせないoutspoken; forthright; frank; direct
歯に衣を着せぬはにきぬをきせぬoutspoken; forthright; frank; direct
歯に衣着せないはにきぬきせないoutspoken; forthright; frank; direct
歯に衣着せぬはにきぬきせぬoutspoken; forthright; frank; direct
歯を食いしばるはをくいしばるto bear up in tragedy; to stand pain well; to hold one's temper; to put up (with something); to clench one's teeth

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歯止めがかからないはどめがかからないunstoppable (of something bad)

歯牙にもかけないしがにもかけないtaking no notice of; paying no attention to

歯車が狂うはぐるまがくるうto go wrong; to go awry; to go off track; to go out of whack

死なばもろともしなばもろともdie all together; go to the grave together

死んだ魚の目しんださかなのめempty eyes; thousand-yard stare; blank glaze; expressionless look; eyes of a dead fish

死んでも死に切れないしんでもしにきれないI can't die and leave things this way

死んでも死に切れぬしんでもしにきれぬI can't die and leave things this way

死者に鞭打つししゃにむちうつto speak ill of the dead; to criticize the dead

殻に閉じこもるからにとじこもるto withdraw into oneself; to shut oneself away; to seclude oneself

殻を破るからをやぶるto break up and start anew; to break out of one's shell; to make a fresh start; to go outside oneself

毒にも薬にもならないどくにもくすりにもならないharmless but pointless; neither bad nor good

毒をもって毒を制すどくをもってどくをせいすfight fire with fire; set a thief to catch a thief; fight one evil with another

毒を吐くどくをはくto spew venom; to speak ill (of people)

毒気を抜かれるどっきをぬかれるto be taken aback; to be dumbfounded

毛の生えたけのはえたa bit better than; not much more than; not much different from

毛を吹いて疵を求むけをふいてきずをもとむto be nitpicky; to be fault-finding

気が散るきがちるto get distracted; to jump off the track

気が荒いきがあらいbad-tempered; aggressive; quarrelsome

気の荒いきのあらいbad-tempered; aggressive; quarrelsome

気は持ちようきはもちようEverything depends on how you look at it

気をもむきをもむto worry; to fret; to get anxious

水が合うみずがあうto agree with one; to suit one; to feel comfortable (in, with); the water agrees with one

水が合わないみずがあわないnot agreeing with one (of an environment, lifestyle, etc.); not suiting one; not feeling comfortable (in); not getting along (with); the water does not agree with one

水と油みずとあぶらtwo incompatible things (or people); (going together like) oil and water

水の泡みずのあわ(coming to) nothing; naught; something short-lived

水をあけるみずをあけるto open up a lead (over one's opponent)

水をかけるみずをかけるto hinder; to hamper; to stifle; to throw cold water on

水を向けるみずをむけるto try and draw someone out; to fish for information

水を差すみずをさすto hinder; to hamper; to throw cold water on; to put a damper on; to estrange (people)

水を得た魚みずをえたうおsomeone who is in their element; fish that has found water

水母の骨くらげのほねsomething that one would not expect to exist; something exceedingly rare; jellyfish bones

水泡に帰すすいほうにきすto come to naught

水泡に帰するすいほうにきするto come to nothing; to go down the drain; to go up in smoke

水魚の交わりすいぎょのまじわりclose friendship; inseparable relationship

氷山の一角ひょうざんのいっかくtip of the iceberg

永久就職えいきゅうしゅうしょくmarrying to become a housewife; permanent employment (once one becomes a housewife)

江戸の敵を長崎で討つえどのかたきをながさきでうつto hit someone where they least expect it; to take revenge on someone in an unlikely place; to get revenge on someone in a different contest; to attack the Edo enemy in Nagasaki

池魚の殃ちぎょのわざわいcollateral damage; getting embroiled in someone else's dispute; having a fire spread to one's own house

沈香も焚かず屁も放らずじんこうもたかずへもひらずhaving few faults as well as few virtues; not burning agarwood (incense); not passing wind

沐猴にして冠すもっこうにしてかんすto only look the part (but otherwise be wholly unsuited for it); a monkey wearing a crown

河岸を変えるかしをかえるto try a different venue (for drinking, socializing, etc.); to go somewhere else

河童の寒稽古かっぱのかんげいこsomething that looks difficult but actually isn't; swimming in a cold lake during mid-winter seems difficult, but it's nothing to a kappa

河童の屁かっぱのへsomething easy to do; cinch; a kappa's fart