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Proverbs & idioms

1789 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

暴飲暴食ぼういんぼうしょくexcessive drinking and eating; overeating and overdrinking
曖昧模糊あいまいもこobscure; vague; ambiguous
曲学阿世きょくがくあせいprostitution of learning; twisting the truth and truckling to the times
書画骨董しょがこっとうcurios and objets d'art
最後通牒さいごつうちょうultimatum
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

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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

有名無実ゆうめいむじつin name but not in reality

有害無益ゆうがいむえきmore harm than good; harmful and of no use

有形無形ゆうけいむけいtangible and intangible; material and spiritual

有為転変ういてんぺんmutability (of worldly affairs); fleeting shifts and changes (of human life)

有相無相うそうむそうall things in nature; the whole creation

有職故実ゆうそくこじつstudies in usages and practices of the ancient court and military households

有言実行ゆうげんじっこうcarrying out one's words; being as good as one's word; making good on one's promise

有象無象うぞうむぞうmob; the masses; rabble; riffraff; all things in nature; the whole creation

有頂天外うちょうてんがいbeside oneself with joy; in raptures; in an ecstasy of delight

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

未来永劫みらいえいごうforevermore; for eternity

未練未酌みれんみしゃくregret and sympathy; having lingering attachment and sympathy toward someone

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

本家本元ほんけほんもとoriginal home; birthplace; originator

本末転倒ほんまつてんとうputting the cart before the horse; mistaking the means for the end; getting one's priorities backwards

本領安堵ほんりょうあんどrecognition and guarantee, by the shogunate, of ownership of the inherited estate of a samurai who pledged allegiance to it (in the Kamakura and early Muromachi periods)

朱唇皓歯しゅしんこうしred lips and pearly white teeth (said of beautiful women)

李下瓜田りかかでんbe careful not to invite the least suspicion; leave no room for scandal

杓子定規しゃくしじょうぎstrict; hidebound; inflexible; being a stickler for the rules; sticking hard and fast to the rules

杓子果報しゃくしかほうcoming by ample servings of delicious food; being blessed with good fortune

杜撰脱漏ずさんだつろうcareless (slipshod) and with many omissions

条件反射じょうけんはんしゃconditioned reflex

杯盤狼藉はいばんろうぜきglasses and plates being scattered about after a party or banquet; articles lying about in a jumble

東夷西戎とういせいじゅうbarbarians to the east and to the west (from the perspective of old China)

東奔西走とうほんせいそうbusying oneself about (something); being on the move; bestirring oneself; on the go; taking an active interest

東西南北とうざいなんぼくeast, west, south and north

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

枕流漱石ちんりゅうそうせきsore loser who stubbornly refuses to admit being wrong

枝葉末節しようまっせつunimportant details; inessentials

枯木寒巌こぼくかんがんwithered trees and frozen rocks; a person that is hard to approach

枯木死灰こぼくしかいwithered trees and cold ash; someone who is detached and free of desires; someone who has no vitality

柳巷花街りゅうこうかがいred-light district; pleasure quarter

柳暗花明りゅうあんかめいbeautiful scenery of spring

柳緑花紅りゅうりょくかこうred blossoms and green willows; beautiful scenery of spring; natural beauty; beauty of nature

栄枯盛衰えいこせいすいups and downs of life; vicissitudes of fortune

栄耀栄華えいようえいがwealth, prosperity, and arrogant splendor (splendour); (living sumptuously) intoxicated by wealth and power; luxury

格物致知かくぶつちちgaining a perfect knowledge of natural laws

桂冠詩人けいかんしじんpoet laureate