Proverbs & idioms

118 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 Animal143 Body206 Nature189 Food76 Emotion95 Money84 Time118 Number317 Color75

日光を見ずして結構と言うなかれにっこうをみずしてけっこうというなかれsee Nikko and die; don't say "wonderful" until you've seen Nikko
日光を見ない中は結構と言うなにっこうをみないうちはけっこうというなsee Nikko and die; don't say "wonderful" until you've seen Nikko
日暮れて道遠しひくれてみちとおしthe day is short, and the work is much; my goal is still a long way off
明けない夜はないあけないよるはないevery night comes to an end; every night sees a dawn; this too shall pass; the darkest hour is just before the dawn
明日という日もあるあしたというひもあるtomorrow is another day; there's always tomorrow
明日のことを言えば鬼が笑うあすのことをいえばおにがわらうnobody knows the morrow; speak of tomorrow and the ogres laugh

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明日の百より今日の五十

あすのひゃくよりきょうのごじゅう

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; fifty today is better than a hundred tomorrow

明日は我が身あすはわがみwhat happens to one today may happen to another tomorrow; misfortunes can happen to anyone

明日は明日の風が吹くあしたはあしたのかぜがふくtomorrow will take care of itself; let the morn come and the meat with it; tomorrow, the winds of tomorrow will blow

明日やろうは馬鹿野郎あしたやろうはばかやろうnever put off until tomorrow what you can do today; (he who says) 'let's do it tomorrow' is a moron

春に３日の晴れ間なしはるにみっかのはれまなしgood weather never lasts for three days in spring

春宵一刻値千金しゅんしょういっこくあたいせんきんa moment of time in a spring evening is worth a thousand pieces of gold

昨日の友は今日の敵きのうのともはきょうのてきa friend today may turn against you tomorrow

時が解決するときがかいけつするtime will cure all; time heals all wounds

月とすっぽんつきとすっぽんas different as the moon and a snapping turtle — two things that look alike but are vastly different in quality

月夜の晩ばかりじゃないつきよのばんばかりじゃないyou better watch your step!; sleep with one eye open!

月満つれば則ち虧くつきみつればすなわちかくevery tide has its ebb

朝に道を聞かば、夕べに死すとも可なりあしたにみちをきかば、ゆうべにしすともかなりif a man hears the Way in the morning, he may die in the evening without regret

朝マラの立たぬ男に金貸すなあさマラのたたぬおとこにかねかすなdo not lend money to a man who doesn't have an erection in the morning (because he is not in good health and might die before he can repay)

朝焼けは雨、夕焼けは晴れあさやけはあめ、ゆうやけははれred sky at night, sailors delight; red sky in morning, sailors take warning; red sky at night, shepherds delight; red sky in morning, shepherds take warning

朝起きは三文の徳あさおきはさんもんのとくthe early bird catches the worm

朱に交われば赤くなるしゅにまじわればあかくなるpeople will take on the characteristics of those who surround them; spend time with the wise and you will become wise, but the friends of fools will suffer; when mixing with vermillion, one becomes red

来年のことを言うと鬼が笑うらいねんのことをいうとおにがわらうnobody knows the morrow; speak of next year and the ogres laugh

柳の下にいつも泥鰌はいないやなぎのしたにいつもどじょうはいないa fox is not taken twice in the same snare; there are no birds in last year's nest; there aren't always loach under the willow tree; good luck does not always repeat itself

柳の下にいつも泥鰌はおらぬやなぎのしたにいつもどじょうはおらぬa fox is not taken twice in the same snare; there are no birds in last year's nest; there aren't always loaches under the willow tree

桃栗三年柿八年ももくりさんねんかきはちねんit often takes time for one's actions to bear fruit; planted peach and chestnut seeds take three years (to bear fruit), persimmons take eight

歳月人を待たずさいげつひとをまたずtime waits for no man; time and tide stay for no man

歳月流るる如しさいげつながるるごとしtime flies like an arrow

死んだ子の年を数えるしんだこのとしをかぞえるcrying over spilt milk; counting the age of one's dead child

水清ければ魚棲まずみずきよければうおすまずthe morally upright have a hard time making friends; fish will not live in water that is (too) clean

沈む瀬あれば浮かぶ瀬ありしずむせあればうかぶせありlife has its ups and downs; he who falls today may rise tomorrow

河童の川流れかっぱのかわながれanyone can make a mistake; even Homer sometimes nods

治に居て乱を忘れずちにいてらんをわすれずforewarned is forearmed; in fair weather prepare for foul; don't forget war in time of peace

渇に臨みて井を穿つかつにのぞみてせいをうがつto fail to make timely preparations; to not dig a well until one is thirsty

無精者の一時働きぶしょうもののいっときばたらきthe ambition of the lazy does not last

煩悩の犬は追えども去らずぼんのうのいぬはおえどもさらずone cannot escape from one's worldly desires; the hounds of earthly desires would return each time they are driven away

猿も木から落ちるさるもきからおちるeven monkeys fall from trees; anyone can make a mistake; pride comes before a fall; even Homer sometimes nods

男女七歳にして席を同じゅうせずだんじょななさいにしてせきをおなじゅうせずafter age 7, boys and girls should be kept apart

白駒の隙を過ぐるが如しはっくのげきをすぐるがごとしtime flies; like watching a white horse run by through a gap in the wall (Zhuangzi)

百日の説法屁一つひゃくにちのせっぽうへひとつsingle mistake which ruins all one's hard work; one blunder rendering a long period of effort useless; one fart in a hundred days of sermons

百聞は一見に如かずひゃくぶんはいっけんにしかずseeing once is better than hearing a hundred times

盗人の昼寝ぬすびとのひるねthere's a reason behind every action; a burglar's midday nap (is taken so that he can rob people's houses in the night)

盛年重ねて来たらずせいねんかさねてきたらずtime and tide wait for no man

知者も千慮に一失ちしゃもせんりょにいっしつanyone can make a mistake; even Homer sometimes nods

石の上にも三年いしのうえにもさんねんperseverance prevails; three years on a (cold) stone (will make the stone warm)

碁打ちに時なしごうちにときなしgo players have no concept of time (being so engrossed in the game)

碁打ち鳥飼い馬鹿の中ごうちとりかいばかのうちgo players and bird keepers are idiots (both activities demand a lot of time)

秋の日は釣瓶落としあきのひはつるべおとしthe autumn sun sets as quickly as a bucket dropping into a well

粋が身を食うすいがみをくうtoo much pleasure ruins a man (esp. in reference to spending too much time with geisha and prostitutes); playing the dandy ruins a man

縁と月日えんとつきひdon't try to force good things to happen