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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

猫の手も借りたいねこのてもかりたいextremely busy; short-handed; wanting even the help of a cat
猫の目ねこのめ(something) fickle; (something) very changeable; (something) kaleidoscopic; (something) undergoing rapid changes
猫の額ねこのひたいtiny area; tiny surface; cat's forehead
猫も杓子もねこもしゃくしもevery Tom, Dick and Harry; any one or thing; even a cat and a ladle
猫をかぶるねこをかぶるto feign friendliness; to play the hypocrite
猫可愛がりねこかわいがり(endlessly) doting (on someone); (constantly) petting (someone) as if they were a pet
猿の尻笑いさるのしりわらい

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the pot calling the kettle black; people who live in glass houses throwing stones; a monkey's laughter at (another monkey's) buttocks

猿猴が月を取るえんこうがつきをとるto try and reach above one's station and fail; a monkey catches (a reflection of) the moon (in the water)

猿猴月を取るえんこうつきをとるto try and reach above one's station and fail; to try and accomplish something beyond one's abilities and fail; a monkey tries to catch the moon (and drowns)

猿芝居さるしばいbad acting; overacting; unconvincing performance; farce; clumsy subterfuge

獅子に鰭ししにひれmaking something strong even stronger; (giving) fins to a lion

獅子身中の虫しししんちゅうのむしsnake in one's bosom; treacherous friend

玉に瑕たまにきずfly in the ointment; small flaw in otherwise perfect object; only trouble; only fault

玉の輿たまのこしmoney and social status gained by marrying a rich and powerful man

王手をかけるおうてをかけるto threaten (someone's position, etc.); to close in (on someone)

琴瑟相和すきんしつあいわすto be happily married; to go together like two zithers

琴線に触れるきんせんにふれるto strike a chord; to tug at one's heartstrings; to resonate

瓜二つうりふたつexactly alike (in appearance); like two peas in a pod; (practically) identical; spitting image (of); carbon copy (of)

瓢箪から駒ひょうたんからこまsomething appearing from a place one wouldn't expect; something said as a joke actually happening; a horse from a gourd; something impossible; something ridiculous

瓢箪から駒が出るひょうたんからこまがでるsomething appearing from a place you wouldn't expect; something said as a joke actually happening; a horse comes out from a gourd; something impossible; something ridiculous

甘い汁を吸うあまいしるをすうto be onto a good thing; to make money without working; to line one's pockets

生き馬の目を抜くいきうまのめをぬくto be shrewd; to be sharp; to keep your wits about you; to pluck out the eye of a live horse

生まれぬ先の襁褓さだめうまれぬさきのむつきさだめputting the cart before the horse; putting the diapers on before (the baby) is born

生を受けるせいをうけるto be born; to come into this world

産声を上げるうぶごえをあげるto be born; to come into being; to be formed; to first see the light of day

男がすたるおとこがすたるto stain one's honour (of a man); to hurt one's reputation; to bring shame upon oneself; to become less of a man

画像はイメージですがぞうはイメージですimage is for illustrative purposes only

画竜点睛を欠くがりょうてんせいをかくto be incomplete; to feel incomplete; to lack the finishing touch

畑水練はたけすいれんuseless book learning; knowing the theory but being able to put it into practice; practising swimming in a field

異域の鬼いいきのきperson who died outside of their homeland; ghost in a foreign land

畳の上で死ぬたたみのうえでしぬto die a natural death; to die in one's own bed

畳の上の水練たたみのうえのすいれんuseless book learning; knowing the theory but being unable to put it into practice; practising swimming on a tatami mat

畳水練たたみすいれんuseless book learning; knowing the theory but not being able to put it into practice; swim practice on a tatami mat

疑惑のデパートぎわくのデパートperson suspected of multiple wrongdoings

疑惑の総合商社ぎわくのそうごうしょうしゃperson suspected of multiple wrongdoings

痛いところを突くいたいところをつくto hit a nerve; to go for the throat; to touch a sore spot

痛くも痒くもないいたくもかゆくもないof no concern at all; I couldn't care less; no skin off my nose

痰を切るたんをきるto speak sharply (e.g. during a heated discussion or argument); to talk pompously

癩の瘡うらみかったいのかさうらみexcessive envy (of someone in much the same position as oneself); envy of a leper's pockmarks

白い目で見るしろいめでみるto look coldly at; to turn a cold shoulder

白日の下にさらすはくじつのもとにさらすto bring to light; to expose (to the world)

白玉楼中の人となるはくぎょくろうちゅうのひととなるto die (of a poet, artist, etc.)

白球を追うはっきゅうをおうto play (baseball, softball, etc.)

白羽の矢が立つしらはのやがたつto be selected (from among many people)

白羽の矢を立てるしらはのやをたてるto select someone (out of many people)

白衣の天使はくいのてんしnurse; angel in white

百人力ひゃくにんりきtremendous strength; strength of a hundred people

百害あって一利なしひゃくがいあっていちりなしall pain, no gain; doing no good and a lot of harm; having no redeeming features; being a complete disadvantage; a hundred harms and not a single gain

百薬の長ひゃくやくのちょうthe best medicine (i.e. sake)

皮を被るかわをかぶるto conceal one's true nature or feelings; to feign friendliness; to play the hypocrite