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198 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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犬の遠吠え
いぬのとおぼえ
backbiting of a coward; grumblings of a loser
犬も食わない
いぬもくわない
avoided by everybody; disliked by everybody; not even a dog will eat (it)
犬猫
いぬねこ
something trivial; worthless thing
犬猿
けんえん
cats and dogs (as an example of a bad relationship); dogs and monkeys
狐と狸の化かし合い
きつねとたぬきのばかしあい
two sly characters outfoxing each other; a fox and a raccoon dog fooling each other
狐につままれる
きつねにつままれる
to be confused; to be baffled; to be dumbfounded; to be bewildered; to be bewitched by a fox
狐に小豆飯
きつねにあずきめし
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trusting a cat with milk; setting a wolf to mind the sheep; (giving) rice boiled with adzuki beans to a fox
狸の金玉八畳敷き
たぬきのきんたまはちじょうじき
something spread out widely; something taking a lot of space; eight jō of a raccoon dog's scrotum
狼煙を上げる
のろしをあげる
to initiate an action; to start a campaign
猫に小判
ねこにこばん
casting pearls before swine; (giving) a gold coin to a cat
猫に鰹節
ねこにかつおぶし
temptation one can't resist; setting a wolf to mind the sheep; trusting a cat with milk
猫の子一匹いない
ねこのこいっぴきいない
completely deserted
猫の手も借りたい
ねこのてもかりたい
extremely busy; short-handed; wanting even the help of a cat
猫の目
ねこのめ
(something) fickle; (something) very changeable; (something) kaleidoscopic; (something) undergoing rapid changes
猫の額
ねこのひたい
tiny area; tiny surface; cat's forehead
猫も杓子も
ねこもしゃくしも
every Tom, Dick and Harry; any one or thing; even a cat and a ladle
猫をかぶる
ねこをかぶる
to feign friendliness; to play the hypocrite
猫可愛がり
ねこかわいがり
(endlessly) doting (on someone); (constantly) petting (someone) as if they were a pet
猿の尻笑い
さるのしりわらい
the pot calling the kettle black; people who live in glass houses throwing stones; a monkey's laughter at (another monkey's) buttocks
猿猴が月を取る
えんこうがつきをとる
to try and reach above one's station and fail; a monkey catches (a reflection of) the moon (in the water)
猿猴月を取る
えんこうつきをとる
to try and reach above one's station and fail; to try and accomplish something beyond one's abilities and fail; a monkey tries to catch the moon (and drowns)
猿芝居
さるしばい
bad acting; overacting; unconvincing performance; farce; clumsy subterfuge
獅子身中の虫
しししんちゅうのむし
snake in one's bosom; treacherous friend
瓢箪から駒
ひょうたんからこま
something appearing from a place one wouldn't expect; something said as a joke actually happening; a horse from a gourd; something impossible; something ridiculous
瓢箪から駒が出る
ひょうたんからこまがでる
something appearing from a place you wouldn't expect; something said as a joke actually happening; a horse comes out from a gourd; something impossible; something ridiculous
生き馬の目を抜く
いきうまのめをぬく
to be shrewd; to be sharp; to keep your wits about you; to pluck out the eye of a live horse
生まれぬ先の襁褓さだめ
うまれぬさきのむつきさだめ
putting the cart before the horse; putting the diapers on before (the baby) is born
画像はイメージです
がぞうはイメージです
image is for illustrative purposes only
画竜点睛を欠く
がりょうてんせいをかく
to be incomplete; to feel incomplete; to lack the finishing touch
目にも止まらぬ
めにもとまらぬ
extremely fast; in a flash; too quick for the eye to catch
盲亀の浮木
もうきのふぼく
unlikely event; rare occurrence
竜虎相打つ
りゅうこあいうつ
a fight between equally great opponents; dragon and tiger fighting one another
竹馬の友
ちくばのとも
childhood friend; old playmate
籠の鳥
かごのとり
person whose freedom has been restricted (esp. a prostitute, mistress, concubine, etc.)
羊頭を掲げて狗肉を売る
ようとうをかかげてくにくをうる
to cry wine and sell vinegar; to do deceptive advertisement; to put up a sheep's head and sell dog meat
羝羊
ていよう
someone who lives their life by instinct
群羊を駆って猛虎を攻む
ぐんようをかってもうこをせむ
to group together against a stronger enemy
耳タコ
みみたこ
having been told something so often that one is fed up with it
能無し犬の高吠え
のうなしいぬのたかぼえ
jealous complaint; the loud bark of a talentless dog
腰だめ
こしだめ
starting something without sufficient preparation; acting on a vague estimate (of the situation)
舌の根の乾かぬうち
したのねのかわかぬうち
in the same breath; hardly had the words been said
舌の根も乾かぬうち
したのねもかわかぬうち
in the same breath; hardly had the words been said
蔵入り
くらいり
being shelved (of a movie, project, etc.); being postponed; being put on hold; being withheld from publication
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