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Proverbs & idioms
319 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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前途遼遠
ぜんとりょうえん
having a long way to go; having a long road ahead of one; being a long way off; being far off
匍匐前進
ほふくぜんしん
crawling forward (on one's stomach)
匪石之心
ひせきのこころ
steadfastness; firmness in one's conviction; having a heart that does not change as easily as a stone rolls about
十年一日
じゅうねんいちじつ
without intermission for ten (long) years; with constancy of purpose for ten (long) years; in the same old rut for years on end
十年一昔
じゅうねんひとむかし
the pace of change makes ten years back seem like ancient history
千秋万歳
せんしゅうばんぜい
may you live a thousand years
協心戮力
きょうしんりくりょく
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combined (concerted) efforts; solidarity; joining forces (with)
単純明快
たんじゅんめいかい
simple and clear; plain and simple
博識多才
はくしきたさい
wide knowledge and versatile talents; profound learning and varied attainments
危機一髪
ききいっぱつ
by a hair's breadth; in the nick of time; touch and go; close call; critical moment
厚顔無恥
こうがんむち
shameless; brazen and unscrupulous
反目嫉視
はんもくしっし
jealousy and enmity; being jealous of and at odds with (each other)
反面教師
はんめんきょうし
bad example from which one can learn; good example of what not to do (esp. how not to behave); negative example
可惜身命
あたらしんみょう
valuing one's body and life; holding one's life dear
台風一過
たいふういっか
clear weather after a typhoon has passed
史上空前
しじょうくうぜん
unprecedented in history; unheard-of; epoch-making
呵々大笑
かかたいしょう
laughing a ringing laugh; having a hearty laugh; roaring with laughter
和顔愛語
わがんあいご
with a gentle face and a nice word
和魂洋才
わこんようさい
Japanese spirit with Western learning
和魂漢才
わこんかんさい
the Japanese spirit imbued with Chinese learning
哀毀骨立
あいきこつりつ
losing weight and becoming bony because of grief
唇歯輔車
しんしほしゃ
mutual dependence
唯我独尊
ゆいがどくそん
throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one; self-conceit; self-centeredness; vainglory
固陋頑迷
ころうがんめい
obstinate; stubborn; hard-headed; pigheaded; incapable of making sound judgements because of a narrow, inflexible and obstinate mentality
垂涎三尺
すいぜんさんじゃく
avid desire; drooling over (something); watering at the mouth
垂直思考
すいちょくしこう
rigid (stereotypical) thinking that adheres to preconceived notions; vertical thinking; linear thinking
変幻自在
へんげんじざい
phantasmagoric; protean; shape-shifting; kaleidoscopic; capable of ever-changing appearance
外剛内柔
がいごうないじゅう
being tough on the outside but soft at heart; a faint-hearted person pretending to be brave
多情仏心
たじょうぶっしん
fickle but kind-hearted
夜目遠目
よめとおめ
seen in the dark or at a distance; (a woman) looking prettier when seen in the dark or at a distance
大胆不敵
だいたんふてき
daring; fearless; audacious; bold; dauntless; daredevil
天上天下
てんじょうてんげ
the whole world; throughout heaven and earth
天井桟敷
てんじょうさじき
gallery (in a theatre); upper gallery; cheap seats; nosebleed section; the gods
天地万物
てんちばんぶつ
the whole creation; everything in heaven and earth
天地玄黄
てんちげんこう
heaven is black and earth is yellow; heaven and earth
天地神明
てんちしんめい
the gods of heaven and earth
天地長久
てんちちょうきゅう
heaven and earth are eternal
天地開闢
てんちかいびゃく
creation of heaven and earth
天壌無窮
てんじょうむきゅう
as eternal as heaven and earth
天孫降臨
てんそんこうりん
the descent to earth of the grandson of the sun goddess
天涯比隣
てんがいひりん
a great distance does not detract from the feeling (relationship) of endearment; feeling as though a dear one faraway were living in one's close neighborhood
天神地祇
てんしんちぎ
gods of heaven and earth
天長地久
てんちょうちきゅう
coeval with heaven and earth
失望落胆
しつぼうらくたん
being disappointed and disheartened
奮起一番
ふんきいちばん
bracing oneself up to action, being inspired by something; getting down to work, putting heart and soul into it; tackling (a job) with gusto
如是我聞
にょぜがもん
thus I hear (quote from the sutras); these ears have heard
嫉視反目
しっしはんもく
jealousy and enmity; being jealous of and at odds with (each other)
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
孤影悄然
こえいしょうぜん
alone and dejected; lonely and downhearted; lonely and crestfallen
安心立命
あんしんりつめい
spiritual peace and enlightenment; keeping an unperturbed mind through faith