Proverbs & idioms

Japanese proverbs (ことわざ), four-character idioms (四字熟語), and idioms — from JMdict.

• 蛇の道は蛇じゃのみちはへびthe wolf knows what the ill beast thinks; it takes one to know one; it takes a thief to catch a thief
• 蛙の子は蛙かえるのこはかえるlike father, like son; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree; the child of a frog is a frog
• 蝙蝠も鳥のうちこうもりもとりのうちcapable or not, we are all in the same boat; bats are also birds
• 衣ばかりで和尚はできぬころもばかりでおしょうはできぬthe clothes do not make the man; the cowl does not make the monk
• 親の心子知らずおやのこころこしらずchildren do not know how dear they are to their parents (and therefore act selfishly)
• 触らぬ神に祟りなしさわらぬかみにたたりなしlet sleeping dogs lie; wake not a sleeping lion; the spirit you do not approach will not curse you