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Proverbs & idioms
319 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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実事求是
じつじきゅうぜ
practical search for the truth
容姿端麗
ようしたんれい
attractive face and figure
容貌魁偉
ようぼうかいい
(a man) having a commanding face and a powerful physique
寡頭政治
かとうせいじ
oligarchy
専心一意
せんしんいちい
single-mindedly; wholeheartedly; with one's heart and soul
小心翼々
しょうしんよくよく
very timid; very nervous; faint-hearted
屍山血河
しざんけつが
heaps of bodies and streams of blood; fierce battle
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屠蘇機嫌
とそきげん
feeling a little drunk with the New Year's sake
山容水態
さんようすいたい
scenic beauty of mountains and streams; fresh and clear beauty of nature's splendor
岡目八目
おかめはちもく
bystander's vantage point; outsider's better grasp of the situation; onlookers see more of the game than the players do; people watching a game of go see eight moves further ahead
巧言令色
こうげんれいしょく
flattery; honeyed words
帯刀御免
たいとうごめん
a non-samurai being granted the privilege of wearing a sword (during the Edo period)
常套手段
じょうとうしゅだん
one's habitual practice; usual measure; old trick
平身低頭
へいしんていとう
prostrating oneself; kowtowing; going down on one's knees
年年歳歳
ねんねんさいさい
annually; every year; year in year out; from year to year
年百年中
ねんびゃくねんじゅう
throughout the year; all the year round; always
延頸挙踵
えんけいきょしょう
longing for someone or something; waiting for someone of great talent to arrive; stretching one's neck and standing on tiptoes
弊衣蓬髪
へいいほうはつ
unkempt hair and shabby clothes
強硬手段
きょうこうしゅだん
tough measure; firm step; strong measure
彫心鏤骨
ちょうしんるこつ
laborious work; lucubration; lucubrations; painstakingly polishing a piece of literary work
徒手空拳
としゅくうけん
being empty-handed; being penniless; having no capital (for starting a business)
得手勝手
えてかって
self-willed; (doing or saying things) to suit one's own convenience
徹頭徹尾
てっとうてつび
thoroughly; through and through; out and out; in every way; from beginning to end; from start to finish
心外千万
しんがいせんばん
being totally upset (by); being completely nonplussed (by); being mortified (at); feeling aggrieved (at); finding (it) highly regrettable
心悸亢進
しんきこうしん
palpitations; tachycardia
心機一転
しんきいってん
changing one's attitude; turning over a new leaf; getting a fresh start
心猿意馬
しんえんいば
(being unable to control) one's worldly desires and passions
心象風景
しんしょうふうけい
imagined landscape; scenery in one's mind's eye
心身一如
しんしんいちにょ
body and mind as one; mind-body unity
心霊現象
しんれいげんしょう
psychic phenomenon
心頭滅却
しんとうめっきゃく
clearing one's mind of all worldly thoughts
心願成就
しんがんじょうじゅ
earnest prayers being answered; realization of one's earnest wishes
忠言逆耳
ちゅうげんぎゃくじ
good advice is harsh to the ears; honest advice is often unpleasant to the ears
怒髪衝天
どはつしょうてん
being in a towering rage; boiling with rage
思案投首
しあんなげくび
being at one's wit's end; being (quite) at a loss (what to do)
悪口雑言
あっこうぞうごん
all kinds of malicious gossip; heaping verbal abuse (on); cursing and swearing (words)
悲喜こもごも
ひきこもごも
bittersweet; having mingled feelings of joy and sorrow; joy and sorrow alternating in one's heart
情意投合
じょういとうごう
(coincidence of) mutual sentiment; sharing the same sentiment with someone; finding oneself on the same wavelength as someone; seeing eye to eye
意気阻喪
いきそそう
depressed in spirits; rejection; disheartened; lacking nerve
意馬心猿
いばしんえん
it is hard to keep one's worldly desires and passions in check
慇懃無礼
いんぎんぶれい
superficially polite but actually rude; rude under a veneer of politeness; courteous on the surface but insolent at heart
戦々恐々
せんせんきょうきょう
trembling with fear; in great fear; filled with trepidation; nervously; timidly
戦々慄々
せんせんりつりつ
trembling with fear; filled with trepidation
戮力協心
りくりょくきょうしん
combined (concerted) efforts; solidarity; joining forces (with)
手前勝手
てまえがって
self-centered; self-centred; selfish
手前味噌
てまえみそ
self-flattery; singing one's own praises
手枷足枷
てかせあしかせ
manacles; shackles; fetters
手練手管
てれんてくだ
wiles; art of coaxing
抱腹絶倒
ほうふくぜっとう
laughing oneself into convulsions; splitting one's sides laughing; rolling with laughter
拈華微笑
ねんげみしょう
heart-to-heart communication; thought transference; holding a flower and subtly smiling