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Proverbs & idioms

936 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

坊主憎けりゃ袈裟まで憎いぼうずにくけりゃけさまでにくいif you dislike someone, you will end up hating everything he stands for; hate a priest, and you will hate his very vestments
垣堅くして犬入らずかきかたくしていぬいらずa wholesome household can not be disturbed from the outside; a house divided against itself cannot stand; a firm fence keeps the dogs out
塞翁が馬さいおうがうまthe future is unpredictable; inscrutable are the ways of heaven; the irony of fate
塵ツモちりつもmany a little makes a mickle; every little helps
墓に布団は着せられぬはかにふとんはきせられぬit is too late to show filial piety once your parents are dead
墨に染まれば黒くなるすみにそまればくろくなるpeople are formed by their surroundings; walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble; that which is dyed with ink becomes black

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墨は餓鬼に磨らせ、筆は鬼に持たせよすみはがきにすらせ、ふではおににもたせよgrind your inkstick gently but move your brush vigorously; let the hungry ghost grind your inkstick, let the ogre hold your brush

壁に耳ありかべにみみありwalls have ears

壁に耳あり障子に目ありかべにみみありしょうじにめありwalls have ears; walls have ears, sliding doors have eyes

夕焼けは晴れ朝焼けは雨ゆうやけははれあさやけはあめred sky at night, shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning

多々益々弁ずたたますますべんずthe busier you are, the better you work; the more, the better

多芸は無芸たげいはむげいa jack of all trades is a master of none

夜明け前が一番暗いよあけまえがいちばんくらいit's always darkest before the dawn; the darkest hour is just before the dawn

夜目遠目笠の内よめとおめかさのうちwomen appear the most beautiful when viewed from afar, in the dark, or when wearing a bamboo hat; seeing less is more

大の虫を生かして小の虫を殺すだいのむしをいかしてしょうのむしをころすsacrifice something small in order to save something great; lose a leg to save one's life; to let a large bug live and kill a small one

大の虫を生かして小の虫を殺せだいのむしをいかしてしょうのむしをころせsacrifice something small in order to save something great; lose a leg to save one's life; let a large bug live and kill a small one

大は小を兼ねるだいはしょうをかねるthe greater embraces the less; better too big than too small

大事の前の小事だいじのまえのしょうじdon't put the trivial ahead of the important; don't sweat the small stuff; don't bother with the details (before embarking on a great enterprise); read the fine print; be careful of the small things (before embarking on a great enterprise)

大人は赤子の心を失わずたいじんはせきしのこころをうしなわずgreat human beings never lose the innocence of childhood; a virtuous ruler never loses the spirit of the common people

大徳は小怨を滅すだいとくはしょうえんをめっすgreat virtues extinguish small grudges

大男総身に知恵が回り兼ねおおおとこそうみにちえがまわりかねbig heads have little wit

天は二物を与えずてんはにぶつをあたえずGod doesn't give with both hands; God does not give two gifts; heaven does not grant people more than one talent

天は自ら助くる者を助くてんはみずからたすくるものをたすくheaven helps those who help themselves

天才と狂人は紙一重てんさいときょうじんはかみひとえthere's but a fine line between genius and insanity

天災は忘れた頃にやってくるてんさいはわすれたころにやってくるnatural disasters happen when you've forgotten about the previous ones

天知る、地知る、我知る、人知るてんしる、ちしる、われしる、ひとしるmurder will out; truth will out; bad deeds will always be discovered; heaven will know, earth will know, I will know, people will know

天知る、地知る、我知る、子知るてんしる、ちしる、われしる、ししるmurder will out; truth will out; bad deeds will always be discovered; heaven will know, earth will know, I will know, you will know

天網恢恢疎にして漏らさずてんもうかいかいそにしてもらさずheaven's net has large meshes, but nothing escapes

天高く馬肥ゆる秋てんたかくうまこゆるあきautumn comes with harvest time and clear weather; autumn with the sky clear and blue, and horses growing stout

夫婦は合わせ鏡ふうふはあわせかがみspouses are mirror images of each other

夫婦喧嘩は犬も食わないふうふげんかはいぬもくわないone should not get involved in a marital quarrel

失敗は成功のもとしっぱいはせいこうのもとfailure teaches success; failure is a stepping-stone to success

失敗は成功の母しっぱいはせいこうのははfailure is the mother of success

女の一念岩をも通すおんなのいちねんいわをもとおすwomen will have their wills

女の髪の毛には大象も繋がるおんなのかみのけにはたいぞうもつながるno man can resist the lure of a woman

女は三界に家なしおんなはさんがいにいえなしa woman has no home of her own in this world (because she has to obey her parents when she is young, her husband when she gets married, and her children when she is old)

女は弱しされど母は強しおんなはよわしされどはははつよしthough the woman is weak, the mother is strong

女三人寄れば姦しおんなさんにんよればかしましthree women make a market

女三人寄れば姦しいおんなさんにんよればかしましいthree women make a market; many women, many words; three women gathering creates a racket

女三界に家なしおんなさんがいにいえなしa woman has no home of her own in this world (because she has to obey her parents when she is young, her husband when she gets married, and her children when she is old)

女心と秋の空おんなごころとあきのそらa woman's heart is as fickle as autumn weather

女房と畳は新しい方が良いにょうぼうとたたみはあたらしいほうがいいwives and tatami mats are best when new

女氏無くして玉の輿に乗るおんなうじなくしてたまのこしにのるeven a woman of low birth can gain status by marrying rich (if she has the looks)

女賢しくて牛売り損なうおんなさかしくてうしうりそこなうeven a clever woman is bound to mess up; a woman's intelligence only goes so far; female sagacity overreaches itself; a clever woman fails to sell a cow

好きこそものの上手なれすきこそもののじょうずなれwhat one likes, one will do well; you become good at what you like doing

好奇心は猫をも殺すこうきしんはねこをもころすcuriosity killed the cat

好奇心猫を殺すこうきしんねこをころすcuriosity killed the cat

好機逸すべからずこうきいっすべからずmake hay while the sun shines

始めは処女の如く後は脱兎の如しはじめはしょじょのごとくのちはだっとのごとしhide your true strength, and then later swiftly attack the unprepared enemy; first be like a (meek) virgin, later like a running hare

始め良ければ終わり良しはじめよければおわりよしa good beginning makes a good ending