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Proverbs & idioms
1355 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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花も恥らう
はなもはじらう
outblooming even a flower (of a young girl); even the flower blushes (before her beauty)
花より団子
はなよりだんご
function over aesthetics; dumplings over flowers
花を咲かせる
はなをさかせる
to enliven (e.g. a conversation); to animate; to engage in enthusiastically; to become successful and well known
花を持たせる
はなをもたせる
to let (someone) have the credit (for); to let (someone) hold the flowers
苦境に立つ
くきょうにたつ
to be in difficulties; to be in trouble; to be in a difficult situation
苦杯をなめる
くはいをなめる
to drink a bitter cup; to have a bitter experience; to suffer a defeat
苦杯を喫する
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くはいをきっする
to drink a bitter cup; to have a bitter experience; to suffer a defeat
苦汁をなめる
くじゅうをなめる
to have a bitter experience
苦虫を噛み潰したよう
にがむしをかみつぶしたよう
sour (expression); as if having chewed on a bitter bug
茨の道
いばらのみち
thorny path
茶を濁す
ちゃをにごす
to evade (questions); to reply evasively; to beat around the bush; to throw up a smoke screen
茹でタコ
ゆでだこ
person with red flushed skin
草の根を分けて探す
くさのねをわけてさがす
to search every square inch; to search high and low
草木もなびく
くさきもなびく
to bow (in great numbers) to a greater authority; to be drawn (en masse) to something attractive; even the plants yield
草木も眠る丑三つ時
くさきもねむるうしみつどき
dead of night (when even the trees and plants sleep)
荊棘
けいきょく
obstacle; source of difficulty; thorn
華を去り実に就く
かをさりじつにつく
to seek results, not show; to discard the flower for the fruit
葦の髄から天井を覗く
よしのずいからてんじょうをのぞく
to have a narrow view of things; to peek at the ceiling through the pith of a reed
蓋をする
ふたをする
to conceal an inconvenient truth; to pretend to not see something troublesome
蓋を開ける
ふたをあける
to open the lid (on); to make public; to start (something); to look at the results (consequences, outcome, effect); to look at the condition of something; to open (of a theatre)
蔵入り
くらいり
being shelved (of a movie, project, etc.); being postponed; being put on hold; being withheld from publication
薄氷の勝利
はくひょうのしょうり
narrow victory
薪を抱いて火を救う
たきぎをいだいてひをすくう
having one's good intentions backfire dangerously; causing harm when trying to prevent it; trying to put out a fire while carrying kindling
薬が効きすぎる
くすりがききすぎる
to work too well (of a punishment, reprimand, etc.); to be too much (for someone); to have a stronger effect than intended
薮蛇になる
やぶへびになる
to only make work for oneself; to stir up a hornet's nest; to put one's foot in one's mouth
藁にもすがる
わらにもすがる
to grasp at straws; to resort to desperate measures
藁をもすがる
わらをもすがる
to grasp at straws; to resort to desperate measures
藁をも掴む
わらをもつかむ
to grasp at straws; to resort to desperate measures
虎に翼
とらにつばさ
making the strong even stronger; (giving) wings to a tiger
虎の威を借る狐
とらのいをかるきつね
small person acting arrogantly on someone else's authority; person who borrows the authority of another to browbeat others; a fox that borrows the authority of a tiger
虎の子
とらのこ
one's treasure; precious savings
虎の尾を踏む
とらのおをふむ
to play with fire; to do something very dangerous; to take a great risk; to step on a tiger's tail
虎の巻
とらのまき
book of (trade) secrets; secrets; study guide (to supplement a textbook); crib; key
虎を画きて狗に類す
とらをえがきていぬにるいす
attempting to be something you are not; drawing a tiger that ends up looking like a dog
虎を野に放つ
とらをのにはなつ
to let loose something dangerous; to let loose a tiger in the field
虎口
ここう
tiger's den; jaws of death; dangerous place
虎狼
ころう
cruel and greedy brute
虎鬚を編む
こしゅをあむ
to do something foolhardy; to braid a tiger's whiskers
虫が騒ぐ
むしがさわぐ
to be itching to do something
虫の息
むしのいき
dying breath; dying whisper; being at death's door
虫の知らせ
むしのしらせ
feeling in one's bones; foreboding; premonition; presentiment; gut feeling; gut instinct
虫も殺さぬ
むしもころさぬ
innocent-looking; looking as though one wouldn't hurt a fly; looking as though butter would not melt in one's mouth
虫唾が走る
むしずがはしる
to be disgusted; to be repulsed; to get the creeps
虻蜂取らず
あぶはちとらず
attempting two tasks at the same time, accomplishing neither; falling between two stools; catching neither the horsefly nor the bee
蚊帳の外
かやのそと
being excluded; being ignored; being kept in the dark (about); being kept out of the loop; outside the mosquito net
蚊帳の外に置く
かやのそとにおく
to leave in the dark; to leave out in the cold; to keep out of the loop; to leave outside the mosquito net
蛇蝎
だかつ
something detestable
蛙の面に小便
かえるのつらにしょうべん
like water off a duck's back; urine on a frog's face
蛙の面に水
かえるのつらにみず
like water off a duck's back; water on a frog's face
蛞蝓に塩
なめくじにしお
crestfallen; dejected; shriveled (like a slug sprinkled with salt)