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1355 entries
Japanese proverbs (ことわざ), four-character idioms (四字熟語), and idioms — from JMdict.
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Four-character idioms
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火を吐く
ひをはく
to speak vehemently
火を見るよりも明らか
ひをみるよりもあきらか
clear as day; plain as day; patently obvious; clearer than watching a fire
火を見るより明らか
ひをみるよりあきらか
clear as day; plain as day; patently obvious; clearer than watching a fire
火中の栗を拾う
かちゅうのくりをひろう
to take a risk for someone; to endanger oneself for someone; to gather chestnuts from the fire
火事場の馬鹿力
かじばのばかぢから
extraordinary strength displayed in an emergency; surge of power beyond one's normal capacity; great strength exerted at risk
火花を散らす
ひばなをちらす
to have a heated argument; to fight fiercely
火蓋が切られる
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ひぶたがきられる
to be started; to begin (of a battle, contest, campaign, etc.)
火蓋を切る
ひぶたをきる
to start (an argument, a battle, etc.)
火遊び
ひあそび
doing something dangerous; playing with fire
灸を据える
きゅうをすえる
to rake over the coals; to scold; to chastise; to roast
災いを転じて福となす
わざわいをてんじてふくとなす
to turn misfortune into fortune (esp. through one's own efforts); to turn the potential disaster to one's advantage
災い転じて福となす
わざわいてんじてふくとなす
to turn misfortune into fortune (esp. through one's own efforts); to turn the potential disaster to one's advantage
炒り豆に花が咲く
いりまめにはながさく
to come alive (once again); to spring back into life; for flowers to blossom out of a fried bean
点を稼ぐ
てんをかせぐ
to score points with (a person); to curry favor with (favour)
点数を稼ぐ
てんすうをかせぐ
to score points with (a person)
烏の足跡
からすのあしあと
crow's feet (wrinkles)
烙印を押される
らくいんをおされる
to be branded a ...; to be labelled a ...
無常の風
むじょうのかぜ
wind of impermanence (that ends people lives, like the wind scattering a flower's petals)
無駄骨を折る
むだぼねをおる
to waste one's efforts; to work to no (useful) effect
焼けぼっくいに火がつく
やけぼっくいにひがつく
the embers of a former relationship flare up again; old love blazes anew
焼け石に水
やけいしにみず
a drop in the bucket; a drop in the ocean; pointless exercise; waste of time; (something that is) too little, too late; (pouring) water on a hot stone
焼け野の鴉
やけののからす
blacker than black
煙に巻く
けむにまく
to confuse (someone); to befuddle; to bewilder; to mystify; to throw up a smokescreen; to surround with smoke
煙を立てる
けむりをたてる
to make a living; to earn a livelihood
煙幕を張る
えんまくをはる
to throw up a smoke screen; to put up a false front; to purposely mislead
煮え湯を飲まされる
にえゆをのまされる
to be betrayed; to be brought to grief (by an enemy); to be given a hard time
熱を上げる
ねつをあげる
to become enthusiastic; to have a crush (on); to lose one's head (to); to become earnest
爪で拾って箕で零す
つめでひろってみでこぼす
penny wise and pound foolish
爪に火をともす
つめにひをともす
to lead a stingy life; to scrimp and save; to pinch pennies; to light one's (finger)nails (instead of a candle)
爪の垢
つめのあか
shred (of decency, etc.); scrap; bit; smidgen
爪の垢を煎じて飲む
つめのあかをせんじてのむ
to take a lesson from (someone serving as an example); to learn from someone's example; to boil the dirt under (someone's) fingernails and drink it
牛にひかれて善光寺参り
うしにひかれてぜんこうじまいり
doing or receiving something good by accident or through the invitation of someone else; being pulled to the Zenkoji temple by a cow
牛の歩み
うしのあゆみ
snail's pace; ox walk
牛を馬に乗り換える
うしをうまにのりかえる
to go from (using, etc.) something bad to something good; to change (from riding) a cow to (riding) a horse
犬が西向きゃ尾は東
いぬがにしむきゃおはひがし
that goes without saying; water is wet; when a dog turns west, its tail turns east
犬と猿
いぬとさる
cats and dogs (as an example of a bad relationship); dogs and monkeys
犬に論語
いぬにろんご
wasting one's breath (trying to explain something); (reading) the Analects of Confucius to a dog
犬の川端歩き
いぬのかわばたあるき
window-shopping without any money; going out and returning without having bought or eaten anything; dog's walk on the riverbank
犬の遠吠え
いぬのとおぼえ
backbiting of a coward; grumblings of a loser
犬も食わない
いぬもくわない
avoided by everybody; disliked by everybody; not even a dog will eat (it)
犬猫
いぬねこ
something trivial; worthless thing
犬猿
けんえん
cats and dogs (as an example of a bad relationship); dogs and monkeys
狐と狸の化かし合い
きつねとたぬきのばかしあい
two sly characters outfoxing each other; a fox and a raccoon dog fooling each other
狐につままれる
きつねにつままれる
to be confused; to be baffled; to be dumbfounded; to be bewildered; to be bewitched by a fox
狐に小豆飯
きつねにあずきめし
trusting a cat with milk; setting a wolf to mind the sheep; (giving) rice boiled with adzuki beans to a fox
狸の金玉八畳敷き
たぬきのきんたまはちじょうじき
something spread out widely; something taking a lot of space; eight jō of a raccoon dog's scrotum
狼煙を上げる
のろしをあげる
to initiate an action; to start a campaign
猫に小判
ねこにこばん
casting pearls before swine; (giving) a gold coin to a cat
猫に鰹節
ねこにかつおぶし
temptation one can't resist; setting a wolf to mind the sheep; trusting a cat with milk
猫の子一匹いない
ねこのこいっぴきいない
completely deserted