Proverbs & idioms

139 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 Animal200 Body319 Nature259 Food66 Emotion130 Money76 Time139 Number633 Color102

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always conducting oneself as though one were on a battlefield; being combat ready at all times (of a person)

年中行事ねんちゅうぎょうじannual function; annual event

年功加俸ねんこうかほうlong service allowance; longevity pay

年年歳歳ねんねんさいさいannually; every year; year in year out; from year to year

年百年中ねんびゃくねんじゅうthroughout the year; all the year round; always

当代随一とうだいずいいちthe greatest of the day

忙中有閑ぼうちゅうゆうかんhaving free time to spare in the midst of busyness; leisure in the intervals of one's work

悲憤慷慨ひふんこうがいindignant lamentation over the evils of the times

悲歌慷慨ひかこうがいindignant lamentation over the evils of the times

情意投合じょういとうごう(coincidence of) mutual sentiment; sharing the same sentiment with someone; finding oneself on the same wavelength as someone; seeing eye to eye

情緒纏綿じょうしょてんめんtender sentiments; being overcome with emotions; having a tender feeling (for a person)

愚者一得ぐしゃいっとくeven a fool may sometimes give good counsel

敵本主義てきほんしゅぎdiversionary tactics; concealing one's true motives until the last moment

日常茶飯にちじょうさはんeveryday occurrence

日月星辰じつげつせいしんthe Sun, the Moon and the stars; the heavenly bodies

日進月歩にっしんげっぽsteady progress; rapid advance

旭日昇天きょくじつしょうてんfull of vigor and vitality (like the rising sun); in the ascendant

明々白々めいめいはくはくclearly evident; quite obvious; as clear as day; beyond any doubt; strikingly apparent

春宵一刻しゅんしょういっこくa moment of time in a spring evening (is worth a thousand pieces of gold)

春日遅々しゅんじつちちlong and balmy (of a spring day)

春花秋月しゅんかしゅうげつspring flowers and the autumn moon; beauty of nature as it changes from season to season

昼夜兼行ちゅうやけんこうaround-the-clock; (working) day and night

時々刻々じじこっこくhourly; from one minute to the next; from hour to hour; moment by moment; with each passing moment

時世時節ときよじせつtimes and situations; the course of events of the times; a turn of Fortune's wheel

時機到来じきとうらいa good chance coming along; the time has come (for, to, when ...); opportunity knocking

時節到来じせつとうらいthe time has come (for, to, when ...); the time being ripe (for)

晴耕雨読せいこううどくworking in the field in fine weather and reading at home in rainy weather; living in quiet retirement dividing time between work and intellectual pursuits

暗黒時代あんこくじだいDark Ages; dark age

曲学阿世きょくがくあせいprostitution of learning; twisting the truth and truckling to the times

月下推敲げっかすいこうpolish; elaboration; repeatedly working over one's writing; being very scrupulous in the choice of diction

月下氷人げっかひょうじんgo-between; matchmaker; Cupid

月下老人げっかろうじんgo-between; matchmaker

月卿雲客げっけいうんかくcourt nobles and other courtiers allowed into the Imperial Palace

朝々暮々ちょうちょうぼぼevery morning and evening

朝三暮四ちょうさんぼしbeing preoccupied with immediate (superficial) differences without realizing that there are no differences in substance; six of one and half a dozen of another

朝令暮改ちょうれいぼかいan unsettled course of action; (orders or laws) being revised often with no guiding principles

朝雲暮雨ちょううんぼうsexual liaison; morning clouds and evening rain

末法思想まっぽうしそうpessimism due to decadent-age theory

東西古今とうざいここんall times and places; everywhen and everywhere

槿花一日きんかいちじつevanescent glory; passing prosperity

槿花一朝きんかいっちょうevanescent glory; passing prosperity

機略縦横きりゃくじゅうおうvery resourcefully using tactics adapting oneself to the requirements of the moment; playing it by ear; acting according to circumstances

歳々年々さいさいねんねんannually; every year; year in and year out; from year to year

歳寒三友さいかんさんゆうthe three friends of winter (pine, bamboo and plum)