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1789 entries
Japanese proverbs (ことわざ), four-character idioms (四字熟語), and idioms — from JMdict.
Proverbs
Four-character idioms
Idioms
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妖怪変化
ようかいへんげ
monstrous apparition; terrifying creature; incomprehensible horror
妻子眷属
さいしけんぞく
one's wife, children, and other relations; one's whole family
威風凛々
いふうりんりん
awe-inspiring; majestic; commanding; stately; with an imposing air; in a stately (dignified) manner
威風堂々
いふうどうどう
majestic; commanding; imposing; stately; dignified; with pomp and circumstance
婉曲迂遠
えんきょくうえん
being euphemistic and circumlocutory
媚眼秋波
びがんしゅうは
casting a coquettish glance (at a man)
嫉視反目
しっしはんもく
jealousy and enmity; being jealous of and at odds with (each other)
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子々孫々
ししそんそん
one's descendants; one's offspring; posterity
孟母三遷
もうぼさんせん
the importance of creating an environment conducive to a child's learning; Mencius' mother, three moves
孤城落日
こじょうらくじつ
feeling (looking) lone and helpless; helplessness of those in reduced circumstances
孤影悄然
こえいしょうぜん
alone and dejected; lonely and downhearted; lonely and crestfallen
孤立無援
こりつむえん
isolated and helpless; alone and unassisted
孤軍奮闘
こぐんふんとう
fighting alone
安定成長
あんていせいちょう
stable growth
安寧秩序
あんねいちつじょ
peace and order; law and order
安心立命
あんしんりつめい
spiritual peace and enlightenment; keeping an unperturbed mind through faith
安穏無事
あんのんぶじ
peace and quiet; safe and peaceful; tranquil and uneventful
完全無欠
かんぜんむけつ
flawless; absolute perfection
完全燃焼
かんぜんねんしょう
complete combustion; perfect combustion; giving one's all; doing one's best; using all of one's ability; obtaining the desired result
官官接待
かんかんせったい
bureaucrats entertaining bureaucrats using public funds
官尊民卑
かんそんみんぴ
putting the officials and bureaucrats above the people; treating the governors as more important than the governed; statism
実事求是
じつじきゅうぜ
practical search for the truth
実力伯仲
じつりょくはくちゅう
(the two persons' sides) being evenly matched in ability
実践躬行
じっせんきゅうこう
acting up to one's principles
宣戦布告
せんせんふこく
declaration of war; proclamation of war
家常茶飯
かじょうさはん
everyday occurrence; commonplace of life; nothing out of the ordinary
家族団らん
かぞくだんらん
happy family circle; sitting in a family circle and enjoying conversation; harmony in a family
家鶏野鶩
かけいやぼく
bored by the familiar, intrigued by novelty; domestic chicken and wild duck; one's wife and one's mistress
容姿端麗
ようしたんれい
attractive face and figure
容貌魁偉
ようぼうかいい
(a man) having a commanding face and a powerful physique
寂光浄土
じゃっこうじょうど
paradise
寂滅為楽
じゃくめついらく
freedom from one's desires (entry into Nirvana) is true bliss
富国強兵
ふこくきょうへい
enrich the country, strengthen the army
富貴栄華
ふうきえいが
wealth, rank, and arrogant splendor
富貴浮雲
ふうきふうん
riches and honors are as fleeting as floating clouds; fortune and fame are here today, gone tomorrow
寛仁大度
かんじんたいど
being generous, benevolent and magnanimous in disposition
寡頭政治
かとうせいじ
oligarchy
寵愛一身
ちょうあいいっしん
standing highest in one's master's favor; monopolizing the affection (favor) of the lord; being the lord's favorite lady
寸善尺魔
すんぜんしゃくま
in evil, there is odds; there is more evil than good in this world; one good thing tends to cause many bad things to happen
寸進尺退
すんしんしゃくたい
one step forward, many steps backward; little to gain and much to lose
封豕長蛇
ほうしちょうだ
greedy and cruel; large wild boar and long snake
専心一意
せんしんいちい
single-mindedly; wholeheartedly; with one's heart and soul
尊皇攘夷
そんのうじょうい
revere the Emperor, expel the (Western) barbarians
尋常一様
じんじょういちよう
ordinary; common; mediocre
小国寡民
しょうこくかみん
small country with a small population (The Chinese philosopher Lao-tze's ideal of a state)
小心翼々
しょうしんよくよく
very timid; very nervous; faint-hearted
小春日和
こはるびより
Indian summer (around November); mild late autumn weather; mild late fall weather
少壮気鋭
しょうそうきえい
young and energetic; up-and-coming
少数精鋭
しょうすうせいえい
elect (select) few
少産少死
しょうさんしょうし
low birth rate and low mortality rate