Proverbs & idioms

206 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 Animal143 Body206 Nature189 Food76 Emotion95 Money84 Time118 Number317 Color75

腹の皮が突っ張れば目の皮がたるむはらのかわがつっぱればめのかわがたるむone becomes sleepy when one's stomach is full; full stomach, sleepy head; when the skin of the belly is extended, the skin of the eyes droops
腹も身の内はらもみのうちmoderation is its own medicine; take care of your stomach; don't overeat
腹八分目に医者いらずはらはちぶんめにいしゃいらずeating moderately keeps the doctor away
膝とも談合ひざともだんごうtwo heads are better than one; consult even with your knees
船頭多くして船山に登るせんどうおおくしてふねやまにのぼるtoo many cooks spoil the broth; too many captains will steer the ship up a mountain
良薬は口に苦しりょうやくはくちににがしthe most helpful advice may be difficult to listen to; good medicine tastes bitter

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良薬口に苦し

りょうやくくちににがし

the most helpful advice may be difficult to listen to; good medicine tastes bitter

色男金と力はなかりけりいろおとこかねとちからはなかりけりhandsome men have neither money nor power

茶腹も一時ちゃばらもいっときanything is better than nothing; kail spares bread; a bellyful is a bellyful, whether it be meat or drink; tea in the belly (will fill it) for a time

落ち武者は薄の穂に怖ずおちむしゃはすすきのほにおずwhen you are in a state of fear, the smallest thing will startle you; a fleeing soldier takes fright even from a head of silver grass

藁で束ねても男は男わらでたばねてもおとこはおとこrich or poor, a man is a man; a man whose hair is tied with straw is still a man

虎口を逃れて竜穴に入るここうをのがれてりゅうけつにいるout of the frying pan into the fire; out of the tiger's mouth into the dragon's den

蛇に噛まれて朽ち縄に怖じるへびにかまれてくちなわにおじるonce bitten twice shy; to become over cautious from a bad experience; to be bitten by a snake and thus fear a rotten rope (which resembles a snake)

血は争えないちはあらそえないlike father, like son; you can't fight blood

血は水よりも濃いちはみずよりもこいblood is thicker than water

衣食足りて礼節を知るいしょくたりてれいせつをしるwell-fed, well-bred; the poor can't afford manners; only when basic needs for living are met can people spare the effort to be polite

裏には裏があるうらにはうらがあるthere are wheels within wheels; there's more than meets the eye

見ると聞くとは大違いみるときくとはおおちがいthere is a great difference between being told about something and actually seeing it with your own eyes

見目より心みめよりこころa gentle spirit is more important than looks; handsome is as handsome does

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)

親の欲目と他人の僻目おやのよくめとたにんのひがめparents overvaluing their own children but looking down on others'

親思う心にまさる親心おやおもうこころにまさるおやごころa parent's love is greater than a child's love for its parents

話し上手は聞き上手はなしじょうずはききじょうずgood talkers make good listeners

読書百遍意自ずから通ずどくしょひゃっぺんいおのずからつうずrepeated reading makes the meaning clear; read a difficult book a hundred times

豚を盗んで骨を施すぶたをぬすんでほねをほどこすyou cannot excuse a bad deed with a petty act of benevolence; steal a pig and give the feet for alms

負うた子に教えられて浅瀬を渡るおうたこにおしえられてあさせをわたるsome things can be learned from the young; a fool may give a wise man counsel; to be led across the shallows by the child on one's shoulders

赤きは酒の咎あかきはさけのとがit's not my fault; this red face is the alcohol's fault

足るを知る者は富むたるをしるものはとむcontent is the philosopher's stone, that turns all it touches into gold

身体髪膚これを父母に受くあえて毀傷せざるは孝の始めなりしんたいはっぷこれをふぼにうくあえてきしょうせざるはこうのはじめなりfilial piety begins with not harming one's own body (as one's entire body was given by one's parents)

転ばぬ先の杖ころばぬさきのつえprevention is better than cure; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; look before you leap; forewarned is forearmed; a stitch in time saves nine; a walking stick before stumbling

遠慮なければ近憂ありえんりょなければきんゆうありplan ahead or you will soon have worries

酒は百薬の長さけはひゃくやくのちょうgood wine makes good blood; sake is the best of all medicines

金の切れ目が縁の切れ目かねのきれめがえんのきれめrelationships formed by wealth will end when the money ends; the relationship ends when the money runs out; the end of money is the end of love

金言耳に逆らうきんげんみみにさからうgood advice is harsh to the ear

門前の小僧もんぜんのこぞうyou learn, without realising it, from what is around you; a shop-boy near the temple gate (will recite sutras untaught)

門前の小僧習わぬ経を読むもんぜんのこぞうならわぬきょうをよむyou learn, without realising it, from what is around you; a shop-boy near the temple gate will recite sutras untaught

雀百まで踊り忘れずすずめひゃくまでおどりわすれずwhat is learned in the cradle is carried to the tomb

雨垂れ石を穿つあまだれいしをうがつslow but steady wins the race; constant effort will result in success; constant dripping wears away a stone

雪隠で饅頭せんちでまんじゅうif you are hungry, where you eat doesn't matter; manjū in the toilet; hiding something good for oneself alone

靴新しと雖も首に加えずくつあたらしといえどもくびにくわえずthere must be a clear distinction between the upper and lower classes; even new shoes must not be worn on the head

飢えたる犬は棒を恐れずうえたるいぬはぼうをおそれずa starved dog does not fear the rod

養虎の患いようこのうれいrear a tiger and court disaster

養虎の患えようこのうれえrear a tiger and court disaster

馬に乗るまでは牛に乗れうまにのるまではうしにのれlearn to crawl before you learn to walk; until you ride a horse, ride a cow

馬鹿と鋏は使いようばかとはさみはつかいようeverything comes in handy when used correctly; use the right tools for the right job; fools and (blunt) scissors have to be used in the right way

駟も舌に及ばずしもしたにおよばずrumors travel faster than a four-horse carriage; a word once uttered cannot be recalled

鬼の目にも涙おにのめにもなみだeven the hardest of hearts can be moved to tears; a tear in the ogre's eye

魚は頭から腐るさかなはあたまからくさるthe fish rots from the head; decay starts at the top

魚心あれば水心うおごころあればみずごころkindness begets kindness; you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours; if a fish is kind to the water, the water will be kind to the fish

魚心あれば水心ありうおごころあればみずごころありkindness begets kindness; you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours; if a fish is kind to the water, the water will be kind to the fish