Proverbs & idioms

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

• 治乱興亡ちらんこうぼうnation's times of peace and war, rise and fall
• 流連荒亡りゅうれんこうぼうspending all one's time in idle amusement away from home; being absorbed in self-indulgent pleasures
• 海底撈月かいていろうげつtotally useless (fruitless) effort; wasting time on an impossible task (like trying to scoop up a reflected moon from the bottom of the sea)
• 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
• 烏兎匆々うとそうそうdays and nights passing by quickly; months and years flying by; time flies
• 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
• 無明長夜