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Proverbs & idioms

319 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

衆人環視しゅうじんかんしall eyes (of the public); (in) full view of the public; (with) everyone looking on; (focus of) public attention
衆口一致しゅうこういっちspeaking with one voice; being unanimous
衆目一致しゅうもくいっちuniversal agreement; broad consensus
街談巷語がいだんこうごstreet gossips and idle rumors; hearsay
袖手傍観しゅうしゅぼうかんlooking on with folded arms (with one's hands in one's sleeves); remaining a passive onlooker
親類縁者しんるいえんじゃone's relatives by blood and marriage (in blood and law); one's kith and kin
誠心誠意せいしんせいいin all sincerity; with one's whole heart; whole-hearted devotion

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読書三到どくしょさんとうusing mind, mouth and eyes to understand a book fully

読書百遍どくしょひゃっぺんrepeated reading (makes the meaning clear); reading something again and again (will lead one to realize its meaning)

論旨明快ろんしめいかいthe point of an argument being clearly stated; the tenor of an argument being well-reasoned

豊年満作ほうねんまんさくbumper crops; year of a full rice harvest

赤手空拳せきしゅくうけんbarehanded; having no wealth or position to rely on (aside from one's own resourcefulness) (when embarking on something)

身体髪膚しんたいはっぷentire human body; every inch of one's body

連鎖反応れんさはんのうchain reaction; nuclear chain reaction

道心堅固どうしんけんごbeing of firm (unshakable) faith and strict practice

道聴塗説どうちょうとせつshallow-minded mouthing of secondhand information

遠交近攻えんこうきんこうpolicy of cultivating distant countries while working to conquer those nearby

遮二無二しゃにむにdesperately; recklessly; (rushing) headlong

酔眼朦朧すいがんもうろう(with) one's eyes blurred from drinking; with drunken eyes; dazed by wine

野心満々やしんまんまんburning with ambition; highly ambitious

金口木舌きんこうぼくぜつ(public) opinion leader

鉄心石腸てっしんせきちょうwill of iron

鎧袖一触がいしゅういっしょく(beating someone) hands down; with a single blow

鏡花水月きょうかすいげつflowers reflected on a mirror and the moon reflected on the water's surface; something that is visible but having no substance; the subtle and profound beauty of poems that cannot be described in words

閉口頓首へいこうとんしゅbeing at a complete loss as to what to do; being at one's wit's end; being at a loss for an answer

開口一番かいこういちばんat the very beginning of one's speech; immediately upon opening one's mouth (to speak); before anything else; first of all

開眼供養かいげんくようceremony to consecrate a newly made Buddhist statue or image by inserting the eyes (thereby investing it with soul)

闊達自在かったつじざいbroad-minded and free in disposition; large-hearted and not scrupulous about trifles

阿鼻叫喚あびきょうかんagonizing cries; pandemonium; two of Buddhism's hells

陣頭指揮じんとうしきtaking command of a corps in a battle; command exercised by the leader of a group

陰陽五行いんようごぎょうthe cosmic dual forces (yin and yang) and the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth) in Chinese cosmology

隔世遺伝かくせいいでんatavism; throwback; reappearance of an earlier characteristic; skipping a generation; reversion to ancestral type

雄心勃々ゆうしんぼつぼつaspiring; ambitious

雲煙過眼うんえんかがんnot being obsessed with something very long (just as clouds and haze pass swiftly before one's eyes)

震天動地しんてんどうちearth-shaking

青天白日せいてんはくじつclear weather; being cleared of the charge (brought against one); having one's innocence proved; having a clear conscience; having nothing to be ashamed of

面壁九年めんぺきくねんfacing a wall for nine years in meditation (by Bodhidharma at Shaolin Temple)

面従後言めんじゅうこうげんpretending to obey someone to his face but badmouthing him behind his back

面従腹背めんじゅうふくはいpretending to obey but secretly betraying (someone)

面目一新めんもくいっしんundergoing a complete change in appearance; changing something out of all recognition; a rise in one's reputation

面目躍如めんもくやくじょdemonstrative of one's worth; worthy of one's reputation; living up to one's name; characteristically masterful; bolstering one's reputation; enhancing one's prestige

音信不通おんしんふつうbreak in contact; not hearing from; having no communication with

音吐朗朗おんとろうろうin a clear voice

頑迷固陋がんめいころうobstinate; wrong-headed; bigoted

頓首再拝とんしゅさいはいrespectfully yours

頭寒足熱ずかんそくねつkeeping the head cool and feet warm

頭脳明晰ずのうめいせきclearheadedness; sharpness of mind

顔面蒼白がんめんそうはくone's face turning pale (ashen); the color being drained from one's face

風声鶴唳ふうせいかくれいgetting frightened even by a slight noise; hearing the enemy in every leaf that rustles; being afraid of one's own shadow

飛耳長目ひじちょうもくsharp eyes and ears used for collecting information far and wide; having the acumen and shrewd discernment gained by widely-collected information; being well-versed on a subject; books which broaden our knowledge