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1789 entries
Japanese proverbs (ことわざ), four-character idioms (四字熟語), and idioms — from JMdict.
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Four-character idioms
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淫祠邪教
いんしじゃきょう
evil heresies
深層心理
しんそうしんり
deep psyche; unconscious mind; depth psychology
深山幽谷
しんざんゆうこく
deep mountain valleys
深慮遠謀
しんりょえんぼう
deep design and forethought; a farsighted and deeply laid plan
深謀遠慮
しんぼうえんりょ
far sight and deep design
清廉潔白
せいれんけっぱく
spotless integrity; absolute honesty; uprightness
清浄潔白
せいじょうけっぱく
upright and clean-handed; pure in heart and with a clean conscience
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清浄無垢
せいじょうむく
purity; spotlessness
清濁併呑
せいだくへいどん
being so broad-minded as to accept all sorts of things, both good and evil; being broad-minded enough to be tolerant of people of all shades
清風明月
せいふうめいげつ
refreshing breeze and the bright moon; a beautiful nocturnal scene with a full moon
温厚篤実
おんこうとくじつ
having a gentle and sincere personality
温情主義
おんじょうしゅぎ
paternalism
温故知新
おんこちしん
developing new ideas based on study of the past; learning from the past
渾然一体
こんぜんいったい
in complete harmony
満目荒涼
まんもくこうりょう
all nature being bleak and desolate; scene looking desolate and forlorn as far as the eye can see
満目蕭条
まんもくしょうじょう
all nature being bleak and desolate; scene looking desolate and forlorn as far as the eye can see
満身創痍
まんしんそうい
having wounds all over one's body; being wounded all over; receiving a drubbing; being subjected to a barrage of criticism
滄海桑田
そうかいそうでん
the world is a scene of constant changes; the blue sea turns into a mulberry field
滄海遺珠
そうかいのいしゅ
talented person unbeknownst to the world
滅私奉公
めっしほうこう
selfless devotion
滑稽洒脱
こっけいしゃだつ
smooth-talking and polished; witty; free, easy, and urbane
漫言放語
まんげんほうご
saying whatever one feels; speaking at random; making careless remarks; rambling talk
漱石枕流
そうせきちんりゅう
sore loser who stubbornly refuses to admit being wrong
潜在意識
せんざいいしき
subconsciousness; the subconscious
炉辺談話
ろへんだんわ
fireside chat
点滴穿石
てんてきせんせき
constant dripping wears away the stone; little strokes fell great oaks; limited strength, when persistently applied, can accomplish great feats
烏兎匆々
うとそうそう
days and nights passing by quickly; months and years flying by; time flies
烏焉魯魚
うえんろぎょ
miswriting a word; using the wrong kanji to write a word
焚書坑儒
ふんしょこうじゅ
burning books on the Chinese classics and burying Confucian scholars alive (Qin dynasty thought suppression campaign)
無中生有
ちゅうしょうゆう
creation out of nothing; making something out of thin air; pure fabrication; "Creating Something from Nothing" (7th of the Thirty-Six Stratagems); making a non-existent thing appear to exist to deceive an enemy
無事平穏
ぶじへいおん
peace and quiet; safe and peaceful; tranquil and uneventful
無事息災
ぶじそくさい
safe and healthy; health and longevity
無二無三
むにむさん
in earnest; single-minded; with intense concentration; rushing headlong into; one and only; unique
無位無官
むいむかん
having no special rank or title
無味乾燥
むみかんそう
dull; uninteresting; dry; insipid; boring; prosaic
無垢清浄
むくせいじょう
pure and innocent; immaculate
無始無終
むしむしゅう
everlastingness; eternity
無学文盲
むがくもんもう
ignorant and illiterate; uneducated and illiterate; uneducated and illiterate person
無学無知
むがくむち
illiterate and ignorant
無学無識
むがくむしき
illiterate and ignorant; uneducated and lacking in wisdom and discernment
無常迅速
むじょうじんそく
the (fast) pace at which life passes, and thus the nearness of death; promptitude of the changes of the times
無念千万
むねんせんばん
being really disappointed; feeling utterly mortified; being deeply vexed
無念無想
むねんむそう
free from worldly or worthless thoughts
無想無念
むそうむねん
being free from all distracting thoughts; keeping one's mind clear of all worldly thoughts; being free from all ideas and thoughts
無我夢中
むがむちゅう
losing oneself (in); being absorbed (in); forgetting oneself
無手勝流
むてかつりゅう
winning without fighting; method used to win without fighting
無明長夜
むみょうじょうや
the long night of spiritual darkness
無欲恬淡
むよくてんたん
indifferent to worldly gain
無為徒食
むいとしょく
idling one's time away
無為無策
むいむさく
do-nothing, plan-nothing (government, etc.)