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1355 entries
Japanese proverbs (ことわざ), four-character idioms (四字熟語), and idioms — from JMdict.
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Four-character idioms
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同日の談ではない
どうじつのだんではない
not to be spoken of in the same breath; cannot be compared; defying all comparison; bearing no comparison; not a same-day discussion
同日の論ではない
どうじつのろんではない
not to be spoken of in the same breath; cannot be compared; defying all comparison; bearing no comparison; not a same-day discussion
同気相求む
どうきあいもとむ
like minds gather
同気相求める
どうきあいもとめる
like minds gather
吾が仏尊し
あがほとけとうとし
putting one's own beliefs on a pedestal; being narrow-minded
呉牛月に喘ぐ
ごぎゅうつきにあえぐ
to be overanxious; to worry needlessly
呑舟の魚
どんしゅうのうお
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great man; notorious man
周りの目
まわりのめ
how others look at you; what others think about you
味を占める
あじをしめる
to be encouraged by initial success; to get a taste for; to yearn for more
味噌も糞も一緒
みそもくそもいっしょ
not distinguishing between what's good and bad; miso and shit are the same
味噌を擂る
みそをする
to flatter; to toady (to); to curry favor (with); to butter up
呼吸が合う
こきゅうがあう
to get along; to hit it off; to be on the same page; to work well together; to synchronize
命の水
いのちのみず
distilled liquor (brandy, whisky, etc.); spirits; semen
命の洗濯
いのちのせんたく
casting off the drudgery of everyday life and doing as one pleases; kicking back
咽喉を扼する
いんこうをやくする
to gain control of a key position; to command a key position
唾をつける
つばをつける
to call dibs; to establish a claim; to spit on (thus preventing others from taking it)
喉から手が出る
のどからてがでる
(wanting something so badly that) one can almost taste it; a hand reaches out from one's throat
嘘から出たまこと
うそからでたまこと
something intended as a lie or joke which (by chance) ends up being true; lie turned truth
嘘八百
うそはっぴゃく
pack of lies; complete fabrication; all lies
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
噛んで含める
かんでふくめる
to explain carefully and slowly; to explain politely in simple terms; to spoon-feed
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.)
土をつける
つちをつける
to defeat; to beat
土足で
どそくで
rudely; thoughtlessly
地が出る
じがでる
to reveal one's true colors (colours); to betray oneself
地に落ちる
ちにおちる
to drop like a rock (e.g. of reputation, power, influence); to go down the toilet
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
地に足の着いた
ちにあしのついた
realistic; practical; grounded
地団駄を踏む
じだんだをふむ
to stamp one's feet (in frustration, impatience, etc.)
地獄で仏に会ったよう
じごくでほとけにあったよう
with great relief; as if meeting a friend in need; as if having met a Buddha in hell
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
地雷を踏む
じらいをふむ
to really step in it; to screw up; to open up a can of worms
型にはまる
かたにはまる
to fit the mold; to fit the mould; to be standard; to be customary; to be unoriginal; to be stale
型にはめる
かたにはめる
to stereotype; to squeeze into a pattern; to regiment
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)
城下の盟
じょうかのちかい
capitulation; surrender; treaty signed under coercion
埒があく
らちがあく
to come to a settlement
堪忍袋の緒が切れる
かんにんぶくろのおがきれる
to be out of patience; to be unable to put up with something anymore
場外乱闘
じょうがいらんとう
verbal fight via the media
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
声なき声
こえなきこえ
unvoiced opinion; (opinion of the) silent majority; views which are not expressed
声を呑む
こえをのむ
to choke up; to be speechless; to hold one's tongue
壺にはまる
つぼにはまる
to hit the bull's-eye; to go as expected; to succeed (e.g. a plan)
夏の虫
なつのむし
(like a) moth flying into the flame
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