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Proverbs & idioms
1789 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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前途遼遠
ぜんとりょうえん
having a long way to go; having a long road ahead of one; being a long way off; being far off
剛毅果断
ごうきかだん
dauntless and decisive; with fortitude and resolution
剣林弾雨
けんりんだんう
fierce battle; intense combat
創意工夫
そういくふう
ingenuity; inventiveness; creative originality
創業守成
そうぎょうしゅせい
starting an enterprise and (or) carrying it to final success
剽悍無比
ひょうかんむひ
as fierce and nimble as any; daring and agile without equal
力戦奮闘
りきせんふんとう
fighting with all one's might; fighting up against; making strenuous efforts
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加持祈祷
かじきとう
incantation and prayer
努力奮励
どりょくふんれい
making strenuous efforts; exerting oneself
励声一番
れいせいいちばん
giving cries of encouragement at a critical moment
励声叱咤
れいせいしった
cries of encouragement; shouting encouragement
効果覿面
こうかてきめん
having an immediate effect; taking immediate effect
勇往邁進
ゆうおうまいしん
dash and go; pushing forward
勇気凛凛
ゆうきりんりん
full of spirit; brimming with courage; high-spirited; mettlesome
勇猛果敢
ゆうもうかかん
daring and resolute; having dauntless courage
勇猛無比
ゆうもうむひ
most brave; as brave as any; unmatched for valor
勇猛精進
ゆうみょうしょうじん
engage in ascetic practices with dauntless spirit
勢力伯仲
せいりょくはくちゅう
(two sides) being evenly matched in influence or power
勤倹力行
きんけんりっこう
work hard and practice frugality
勤王攘夷
きんのうじょうい
loyalty to the emperor and expulsion of the foreigners
匍匐前進
ほふくぜんしん
crawling forward (on one's stomach)
北斗七星
ほくとしちせい
the Big Dipper (asterism); the Plough; the Plow
匪石之心
ひせきのこころ
steadfastness; firmness in one's conviction; having a heart that does not change as easily as a stone rolls about
匹夫匹婦
ひっぷひっぷ
coarse men and women
医食同源
いしょくどうげん
a balanced diet leads to a healthy body; healthy food both prevents and cures sickness
十万億土
じゅうまんおくど
eternity; paradise
十中八九
じっちゅうはっく
in 8 or 9 cases out of ten; in all probability
十人十色
じゅうにんといろ
several men, several minds; everyone has his own (ideas, tastes, interests, etc.); different strokes for different folks
十字砲火
じゅうじほうか
cross fire
十年一日
じゅうねんいちじつ
without intermission for ten (long) years; with constancy of purpose for ten (long) years; in the same old rut for years on end
十年一昔
じゅうねんひとむかし
the pace of change makes ten years back seem like ancient history
十死一生
じっしいっしょう
narrow escape from the jaws of death; cheating death; there being barely a chance of escaping death; life-threatening danger
千万無量
せんまんむりょう
innumerable; unfathomable; unutterable
千両役者
せんりょうやくしゃ
star (actor); prima donna; leading figure
千古万古
せんこばんこ
remote antiquity; ancient times; the remote past
千古不易
せんこふえき
eternally unchanging
千古不滅
せんこふめつ
everlasting; unchangeable; immortal
千古不磨
せんこふま
permanence; immortality; eternity
千変万化
せんぺんばんか
innumerable changes; infinite variety
千姿万態
せんしばんたい
endless variety
千客万来
せんきゃくばんらい
flood of customers; roaring business
千山万水
せんざんばんすい
many mountains and rivers; a great distance to travel
千差万別
せんさばんべつ
an infinite variety of; multifarious; being extremely varied and wide-ranging
千思万考
せんしばんこう
deep meditation; mature consideration
千態万様
せんたいばんよう
great diversity of form
千態万状
せんたいばんじょう
an endless variety of forms; multifariousness
千慮一失
せんりょいっしつ
mere slip by someone who is usually very careful; simple mistake by a wise person; point overlooked by a cautious person
千慮一得
せんりょいっとく
even a fool may sometimes come up with a good idea
千状万態
せんじょうばんたい
various forms; various circumstances
千秋万歳
せんしゅうばんぜい
may you live a thousand years