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Proverbs & idioms

1789 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 Animal200 Body319 Nature259 Food66 Emotion130 Money76 Time139 Number633 Color102

尸位素餐しいそさんneglecting the duties of an office while taking pay
尽忠報国じんちゅうほうこくloyalty and patriotism
局外中立きょくがいちゅうりつneutrality
局面打開きょくめんだかいbreakthrough in the situation; break in the deadlocked situation
屋上架屋おくじょうかおくgilding the lily; adding redundant things
屍山血河しざんけつがheaps of bodies and streams of blood; fierce battle
屠蘇機嫌とそきげんfeeling a little drunk with the New Year's sake

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山容水態さんようすいたい

scenic beauty of mountains and streams; fresh and clear beauty of nature's splendor

山川草木さんせんそうもくnature; natural scenery

山紫水明さんしすいめいscenic beauty

岡目八目おかめはちもくbystander's vantage point; outsider's better grasp of the situation; onlookers see more of the game than the players do; people watching a game of go see eight moves further ahead

左見右見とみこうみlooking from one place to another; looking in all directions; looking all around

左顧右眄さこうべんlooking right and left or all about; vacillation

巧言令色こうげんれいしょくflattery; honeyed words

巧遅拙速こうちせっそくbetter being rough and ready than slow and elaborate; better being brisk and sharp than slow and prudent

巫山雲雨ふざんうんうsexual liaison

市井無頼しせいぶらいurban villain; street hoodlum

希少価値きしょうかちscarcity value; rarity value; preciousness

師資相承ししそうしょうgeneration-to-generation instruction from master to disciple

帯刀御免たいとうごめんa non-samurai being granted the privilege of wearing a sword (during the Edo period)

帰命頂礼きみょうちょうらいmost formal form of a prayer

帰巣本能きそうほんのうhoming instinct

常住不断じょうじゅうふだんceaseless; constant; uninterrupted

常住不滅じょうじゅうふめつeverlasting; forever unchanging; undying

常住坐臥じょうじゅうざがat all times; day in, day out; constantly; always

常在戦場じょうざいせんじょうalways conducting oneself as though one were on a battlefield; being combat ready at all times (of a person)

常套手段じょうとうしゅだんone's habitual practice; usual measure; old trick

干天慈雨かんてんじうwelcome (beneficial) rain in a drought; realization of something eagerly looked for; a welcome relief

平々凡々へいへいぼんぼんvery ordinary; mediocre; all-too-common; quite commonplace

平安無事へいあんぶじpeace and quiet; safe and peaceful; tranquil and uneventful

平沙万里へいさばんりvast stretch of desert; vast expanse of sandy plain

平穏無事へいおんぶじpeaceful; quiet; uneventful

平衡感覚へいこうかんかくsense of equilibrium; sense of balance

平身低頭へいしんていとうprostrating oneself; kowtowing; going down on one's knees

年中行事ねんちゅうぎょうじannual function; annual event

年功加俸ねんこうかほうlong service allowance; longevity pay

年年歳歳ねんねんさいさいannually; every year; year in year out; from year to year

年百年中ねんびゃくねんじゅうthroughout the year; all the year round; always

幸災楽禍こうさいらくかdelighting in the misfortune of others

広大無辺こうだいむへんboundless; infinite; vast

廃仏毀釈はいぶつきしゃくabolish Buddhism, destroy Shākyamuni (slogan of anti-Buddhist movement at the beginning of the Meiji era)

延命息災えんめいそくさいhealth and longevity; enjoying a long and healthy life being untouched by disaster

延頸挙踵えんけいきょしょうlonging for someone or something; waiting for someone of great talent to arrive; stretching one's neck and standing on tiptoes

弊衣破帽へいいはぼうshabby clothes and an old hat

弊衣蓬髪へいいほうはつunkempt hair and shabby clothes

弱肉強食じゃくにくきょうしょくthe law of the jungle; the strong prey on the weak; the weak become the victim of the strong

張三李四ちょうさんりしthe common run of men; the average Joe; good-for-nothing (person)

強情我慢ごうじょうがまんobstinate and self-assertive

強権発動きょうけんはつどうinvoking the coercive power of the state; calling upon the power of the state

強硬手段きょうこうしゅだんtough measure; firm step; strong measure