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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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石にかじりついても
いしにかじりついても
come hell or high water
石にしがみついても
いしにしがみついても
come hell or high water
石に枕し流れに漱ぐ
いしにまくらしながれにくちすすぐ
to live freely in the wilderness; to sleep on a pillow of stone and rinse one's mouth with river water
石に漱ぎ流れに枕す
いしにくちすすぎながれにまくらす
to refuse stubbornly to admit one is wrong; to rinse one's mouth with a rock and rest one's head in a river
石橋を叩いて渡る
いしばしをたたいてわたる
being excessively cautious; knocking on a strong stone bridge before crossing it
砂上の楼閣
さじょうのろうかく
house built on sand; house of cards
破竹の勢い
はちくのいきおい
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(with) great vigour (from the way splitting bamboo goes all down the stick); irresistible force
碁盤の目
ごばんのめ
grid layout (e.g. of streets); grid pattern
磊塊
らいかい
discontent; being weighed down emotionally; heavy heart
神がかる
かみがかる
to be awesome; to be extreme; to be incredible
神に召される
かみにめされる
to die
神の子
かみのこ
prodigy; young ace
神も仏もない
かみもほとけもない
there is no God!; it's a cruel world; there is no god or Buddha
神経を尖らせる
しんけいをとがらせる
to be oversensitive; to be nervous; to be overly concerned; to worry too much
種をまく
たねをまく
to sow the seeds of ... (e.g. conflict)
穴が開くほど
あながあくほど
(staring) piercingly; (looking) hard
穴の開くほど
あなのあくほど
(staring) piercingly; (looking) hard
穴を穿つ
あなをうがつ
to find someone's weak spot; to drill a hole
空振り三振
からぶりさんしん
(several) vain attempts; failing despite giving one's best
竈を起こす
かまどをおこす
to make a fortune; to build family wealth; to become the head of a family
立て板に水
たていたにみず
eloquence; volubility; (like) water on a standing board
立錐の余地もない
りっすいのよちもない
tightly packed; full to capacity; jam-packed
竜虎相打つ
りゅうこあいうつ
a fight between equally great opponents; dragon and tiger fighting one another
竹に雀
たけにすずめ
match made in heaven; perfect match; great coupling; sparrow and bamboo (a common motif in poetry and classical Japanese painting)
竹を割ったよう
たけをわったよう
clear-cut and straightforward; (of a person) forward-thinking; honest; upright; frank
竹馬の友
ちくばのとも
childhood friend; old playmate
笈を負う
きゅうをおう
to leave one's hometown to study; to carry a case of books
笛吹けども踊らず
ふえふけどもおどらず
we have piped unto you and ye have not danced; people ignoring one's invitation or effort to do something together
筆を起こす
ふでをおこす
to start writing (e.g. a book)
管の穴から天を覗く
くだのあなからてんをのぞく
to have a narrow view of things
管を以て天を窺う
くだをもっててんをうかがう
to have a narrow view of things; to look at the sky through a tube
箸が進む
はしがすすむ
to eat a lot; to have a good appetite; appetizing
箸にも棒にもかからない
はしにもぼうにもかからない
hopeless; incorrigible; beyond repair; good-for-nothing; terrible
箸にも棒にも引っかからない
はしにもぼうにもひっかからない
hopeless; incorrigible; beyond repair; good-for-nothing; terrible
籠で水を汲む
かごでみずをくむ
to bail out the ocean with a teaspoon; to scoop water with a basket
籠の鳥
かごのとり
person whose freedom has been restricted (esp. a prostitute, mistress, concubine, etc.)
米百俵
こめひゃっぴょう
kome hyappyō; (ideal of) enduring pain today for the sake of a better tomorrow; hundred sacks of rice
粉々にする
こなごなにする
to beat to a pulp; to defeat completely; to crush; to destroy
粉をかける
こなをかける
to make a pass at; to hit on; to call out to (in an attempt to seduce)
粉屋の泥棒
こなやのどろぼう
heavily made-up woman; flour-shop burglar
糞も味噌も一緒
くそもみそもいっしょ
not distinguishing between what's good and bad; not knowing chalk from cheese; mixing good and bad together; shit and miso are the same
糟を食う
かすをくう
to be scolded (mainly used theatrically)
糠に釘
ぬかにくぎ
having no effect; waste of effort
紅葉に鹿
もみじにしか
match made in heaven; perfect match; great coupling; sika deer and maple leaves (a common motif in poetry and classical Japanese painting)
紺屋の白袴
こうやのしろばかま
the shoemaker's children go barefoot; specialists often fail to apply their skills to themselves; the dyer's white hakama
終止符を打つ
しゅうしふをうつ
to put an end (to); to bring to an end; to close the books (on); to put a period (at the end of a sentence)
絵になる
えになる
to make a lovely picture; to be perfect for a picture; picture-perfect; picturesque
絵に描いた餅
えにかいたもち
pie in the sky; castles in the air; drawing of a rice cake
線引き
せんびき
drawing a line (e.g. between what's acceptable and unacceptable)
縁の下
えんのした
out of sight; in the background; unnoticed; under the veranda