Proverbs & idioms

1789 entries

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

Proverbs Four-character idioms Idioms

Theme:All themes Animal200 Body319 Nature259 Food66 Emotion130 Money76 Time139 Number633 Color102

一進一退いっしんいったいnow advancing and now retreating; ebb and flow; seesawing; taking alternately favorable and unfavorable turns
一部始終いちぶしじゅうfull particulars; all the details; the whole story; everything (about); from beginning to end
一長一短いっちょういったん(something having its) merits and demerits; advantages and disadvantages; good points and shortcomings
一陽来復いちようらいふくreturn of spring; long-awaited, favorable turn of fortune (favourable)
一顧傾城いっこけいせいwoman so glamorous as to bring ruin to a country (castle) as its king (lord) is captivated by her beauty; femme fatale
一顰一笑いっぴんいっしょうone's mood; one's caprice; a smile or a frown
一騎当千

PreviousPage 3 / 36Next

いっきとうせん

being a match for a thousand; being a mighty warrior (combatant, player)

丁々発止ちょうちょうはっしwith (the sound of) clashing swords; (arguing) fiercely; heatedly; vehemently

丁寧懇切ていねいこんせつkind, careful, and thorough (of an explanation, advice, etc.); thoughtful and scrupulous

丁稚奉公でっちぼうこうapprenticeship

七堂伽藍しちどうがらんcomplete seven-structured temple compound

七珍万宝しっちんまんぽうthe seven treasures and many other precious things; all the treasures in the world

七生報国しちしょうほうこくunfailing devotion to one's country; serving one's country for seven lives

七転八倒しちてんばっとうtossing oneself about in great pain; writhing in agony

七転八起しちてんはっきnot giving up; keeping at it until one succeeds

七難八苦しちなんはっくthe Seven Misfortunes and Eight Pains; a series of disasters

万世一系ばんせいいっけいunbroken imperial line

万世不易ばんせいふえきeternity; perpetuity

万事万端ばんじばんたんeverything; all things; all affairs; all matters

万代不易ばんだいふえきeternity; perpetuity

万劫末代まんごうまつだいeternity; through all eternity; for evermore; for many generations to come

万古不易ばんこふえきeternally unchanging

万夫不当ばんぷふとうbeing a match for thousands; being a mighty warrior (combatant)

万死一生ばんしいっしょうadvancing in the face of death; having a narrow escape from the jaw of death

万物流転ばんぶつるてんall things are in a state of flux; everything is constantly changing

万緑一紅ばんりょくいっこうone red flower standing out in a sea of green vegetation; one item of quality standing out among many; one woman among many men

三三五五さんさんごごin groups of twos and threes; in small groups; (in groups of) threes and fives

三位一体さんみいったいthe Trinity; three parts; three components; three factors; three aspects

三十六計さんじゅうろっけいthe 36 (ancient Chinese military) strategies (of which the last resort was said to be beating a retreat)

三千世界さんぜんせかいthe whole universe (of a billion worlds) that Buddha enlightened; the whole wide world

三寒四温さんかんしおんalternation of three cold and four warm days (usu. in late winter and early spring)

三拝九拝さんぱいきゅうはいkowtowing; bowing repeatedly; three kneelings and nine prostrations; my deepest respects

三日坊主みっかぼうずperson who cannot stick to anything; unsteady worker; monk for three days

三日天下みっかてんかshort-lived rule; being in power only for a brief period; brief championship

三段論法さんだんろんぽうsyllogism

三界流転さんがいるてんendless cycle of rebirth through the three worlds of past, present, and future existences

三百代言さんびゃくだいげんpettifogging lawyer; unscrupulous or unethical lawyer; shyster

三者三様さんしゃさんようeverybody is different; to each their own; three different people, three different styles

三者鼎立さんしゃていりつthree parties (forces) opposing one another; three-cornered contest

三面六臂さんめんろっぴrush of business; versatility; man who can do the work of many

上意下達じょういかたつconveying the will of the governing to the governed; top-down (system)

下学上達かがくじょうたつbeginning one's studies with something familiar and gradually increasing the depth of learning

下意上達かいじょうたつconveyance of the views of those below to those at the top

不倶戴天ふぐたいてんcannot allow (oneself) to live (with someone) under the canopy of heaven; cannot allow (the sworn enemy) to live in this world; irreconcilable (enemy)

不労所得ふろうしょとくunearned income; investment income; passive income

不即不離ふそくふりneutral; noncommittal

不可思議ふかしぎmystery; something inexplicable; wonder; miracle

不可抗力ふかこうりょくact of God; irresistible force; inevitability

不在証明ふざいしょうめいalibi

不埒千万ふらちせんばんvery insolent; extremely audacious; reprehensible