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Proverbs & idioms

317 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
臭いもの身知らずくさいものみしらずit's hard to notice one's own faults; one does not notice one's own body odour
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
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

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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

若い時は二度ないわかいときはにどないyou are only young once; youth doesn't come twice; gather ye rosebuds while ye may

苦しい時の神頼みくるしいときのかみだのみdanger past, God forgotten; once on shore, we pray no more; man turns to God only in times of trouble; there are no atheists in foxholes

苦は楽の種くはらくのたねone cannot have pleasure without pain; no pain, no gain

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

落花枝に帰らず破鏡再び照らさずらっかえだにかえらずはきょうふたたびてらさずfallen blossom doesn't return to the branch, a broken mirror can not be made to shine; what's done is done; there's no use crying over spilled milk

虎は千里往って千里還るとらはせんりいってせんりかえるa parent will do anything for their child; a tiger will walk a thousand leagues and a thousand leagues back (for its cub)

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)

蛇の道は蛇じゃのみちはへびthe wolf knows what the ill beast thinks; it takes one to know one; it takes a thief to catch a thief

覆水盆に返らずふくすいぼんにかえらずwhat's done is done; it is no use crying over spilt milk; spilt water won't go back into its tray

見ぬが花みぬがはなreality can not compete with imagination; prospect is often better than possession

親の光は七光りおやのひかりはななひかりhaving a famous parent is the best way to fame

親の恩は子で送るおやのおんはこでおくるone's debt to one's parents is best repaid by giving them grandchildren

親の意見と茄子の花は千に一つも無駄はないおやのいけんとなすびのはなはせんにひとつもむだはないalways listen to your parents; always value your parents' advice; not even one in a thousand of a parents' opinion or an eggplant flower are in vain

言うは易く行うは難しいうはやすくおこなうはかたしit's easier said than done; saying is easy; doing is hard

言ったもん勝ちいったもんがちthe person who speaks up wins; the one who states their opinion first has the advantage

言葉は身の文ことばはみのあやwords betray one's character

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

豚もおだてりゃ木に登るぶたもおだてりゃきにのぼるflattery will motivate anyone; flattery can do wonders; even a pig will climb up a tree if flattered

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

貧僧の重ね斎ひんそうのかさねどきgood luck does not last; a poor priest's two memorial services (being so close in time the priest can only eat at one of them)

赤信号皆で渡れば怖くないあかしんごうみんなでわたればこわくないif everyone crosses against the red light together, there's nothing to be afraid of; there's no reason to feel guilty about doing something bad if everyone does it

起きて半畳寝て一畳おきてはんじょうねていちじょうone should be satisfied without desiring more wealth and rank than necessary; waking, half a tatami mat; sleeping, a single tatami mat

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)

転がる石には苔は付かないころがるいしにはこけはつかないa rolling stone gathers no moss

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

転石苔を生ぜずてんせきこけをしょうぜずa rolling stone gathers no moss

転石苔生さずてんせきこけむさずa rolling stone gathers no moss

近江泥棒伊勢乞食おうみどろぼういせこじきmerchants from Ise and Ōmi do not waste their money (unlike Edoites); robbers from Ōmi, beggars from Ise

逃がした魚は大きいにがしたさかなはおおきいthe biggest fish is always the one that got away

逃げた魚は大きいにげたさかなはおおきいthe biggest fish is always the one that got away

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

金が物を言うかねがものをいうmoney talks

金が金を生むかねがかねをうむmoney begets money

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

金は天下の回り物かねはてんかのまわりものmoney comes and goes; money goes around and around

金を貸せば友を失うかねをかせばともをうしなうlend your money and lose your friend

金銀は回り持ちきんぎんはまわりもちmoney comes and goes; money goes around and around

釣り落とした魚は大きいつりおとしたさかなはおおきいthe biggest fish is always the one that got away

鑿と言えば槌のみといえばつちone should do more than what is literally being asked for; when told (to bring) the chisel, (also bring) the mallet

雀の千声鶴の一声すずめのせんこえつるのひとこえthe word of a wise man is worth the words of one thousand fools; one thousand chirps of sparrows, one cry of a crane

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