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Proverbs & idioms
592 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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嘴を挟む
くちばしをはさむ
to stick one's nose into (someone else's business); to meddle; to interfere; to butt in
四海波静か
しかいなみしずか
The world is at peace
困ったときの神頼み
こまったときのかみだのみ
turning to God only in one's trouble
図に乗る
ずにのる
to get carried away; to become over-excited; to push one's luck; to push a good thing too far
固唾を呑む
かたずをのむ
to hold one's breath (in fear, anxiety, etc.)
地が出る
じがでる
to reveal one's true colors (colours); to betray oneself
地に足がつく
ちにあしがつく
to keep one's feet on the ground; to be down to earth
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地団駄を踏む
じだんだをふむ
to stamp one's feet (in frustration, impatience, etc.)
地獄に仏
じごくにほとけ
manna from heaven; an oasis in the desert; godsend; good fortune when one needed it most; meeting a good Samaritan in one's hour of need; (meeting) Buddha in hell
垣を作る
かきをつくる
to put up an (emotional) wall (between two people); to become distant; to form a wall (of people)
墓穴を掘る
ぼけつをほる
to dig one's own grave; to bring calamity upon oneself; to make a rod for one's own back
壁立千仞
へきりつせんじん
precipitous cliff of great height, metaphor for absolute nature of Buddhist truth
声を呑む
こえをのむ
to choke up; to be speechless; to hold one's tongue
外堀が埋まる
そとぼりがうまる
to be clear of obstacles in the way of one's objective
外堀を埋める
そとぼりをうめる
to remove obstacles in the way of one's objective; to take an indirect approach; to fill in the outer moat
大きな顔をする
おおきなかおをする
to look as if one is important; to swagger around
大ぼらを吹く
おおぼらをふく
to talk through one's hat; to blow one's own horn
大山鳴動して鼠一匹
たいざんめいどうしてねずみいっぴき
much ado about nothing; great cry and little wool; the mountain laboured and brought forth a mouse
天から降ったか地から湧いたか
てんからふったかちからわいたか
(appearing) out of nowhere; as if one had fallen from the sky or sprung from the ground
天にも昇る
てんにものぼる
to be ecstatically happy; to be on cloud nine; to be in seventh heaven
天にも昇る心地
てんにものぼるここち
feeling extremely happy; being in seventh heaven
天に向かって唾を吐く
てんにむかってつばきをはく
to harm oneself as a result of trying to harm someone else; to cut off one's nose to spite one's face; to turn to the sky and spit
天に唾する
てんにつばする
to harm oneself as a result of trying to harm someone else; to cut off one's nose to spite one's face; to spit at the sky
天を仰ぎて唾す
てんをあおぎてつばきす
to harm oneself as a result of trying to harm someone else; to cut off one's nose to spite one's face; to look up at the sky and spit
天下の宝刀
てんかのほうとう
one's last resort; trump card
天寿を全うする
てんじゅをまっとうする
to die a natural death (at an advanced age); to live out one's allotted span of life
天狗になる
てんぐになる
to get conceited; to become vain; to get stuck up; to get a swollen head; to become a tengu
天秤にかける
てんびんにかける
to weigh (one thing against another); to compare (the relative merits of two options); to weigh (something) on scales; to try to have it both ways; to play a double game; to have two strings to one's bow
奥の手
おくのて
ace up one's sleeve; trump card; last resort; secret skills; secret; mystery
奥の手を使う
おくのてをつかう
to play one's trump card
娘一人に婿八人
むすめひとりにむこはちにん
being besieged by suitors; to be popular; eight suitors for one daughter
子供の使い
こどものつかい
useless messenger; doing only as one is told; fool's errand
実が入る
みがはいる
to give one's everything; to make one's best effort
家を外にする
いえをそとにする
to be out of the house often; to spend little time at home; to go out a lot
寵愛昂じて尼になす
ちょうあいこうじてあまになす
to love one's child too much for their own good; to love one's daughter so much as to make her a nun
寸鉄人を刺す
すんてつひとをさす
to make a cutting remark; to stab someone with a short blade
寸鉄人を殺す
すんてつひとをころす
to make a cutting remark; to kill someone with a short blade
対岸の火事
たいがんのかじ
someone else's problem; fire on the opposite shore
小天狗
こてんぐ
promising young martial arts practitioner
小首を傾ける
こくびをかたむける
to look slightly doubtful; to look puzzled; to bend one's head slightly to one side
小首を傾げる
こくびをかしげる
to look slightly doubtful; to look puzzled; to bend one's head slightly to one side
小鼻を膨らます
こばなをふくらます
to look displeased; to flare one's nostrils
尻に帆かける
しりにほかける
to beat a hasty retreat; to turn tail and run away; to take to one's heels
尻に帆をかける
しりにほをかける
to beat a hasty retreat; to turn tail and run away; to take to one's heels
尻尾を巻く
しっぽをまく
to tuck one's tail between one's legs; to admit defeat; to turn tail (and run)
尻尾を掴む
しっぽをつかむ
to have something on someone; to catch someone out; to trip someone up; to find someone's fault; to get evidence on someone; to get a lead on someone
尻毛を抜く
しりげをぬく
to take someone by surprise; to startle someone; to pull (someone's) buttock hair
尻重
しりおも
slowcoach; lazybones; slowpoke
尻馬に乗る
しりうまにのる
to follow suit; to imitate or follow someone blindly; to ride on someone's back; to ride someone's coattails; to take advantage (e.g. of another's popularity)
屋烏の愛
おくうのあい
true love; deep love; love for someone so deep that it can reach a crow perched on that person's roof