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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

Theme:All themes Animal200 Body319 Nature259 Food66 Emotion130 Money76 Time139 Number633 Color102

千紫万紅せんしばんこうmultitude of colors; multitude of colours
千緒万端せんしょばんたんall sorts of things; all manner of affairs
千編一律せんぺんいちりつmonotonous; humdrum; stereotyped; banal; dull
千言万語せんげんばんごa great many words; huge number of words
千軍万馬せんぐんばんば(having experienced) many battles
千載一遇せんざいいちぐうonce-in-a-lifetime (opportunity); golden (opportunity); one-in-a-million (chance)
千辛万苦せんしんばんくmany hardships

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千里同風せんりどうふう

a country being in a state of universal peace; the world being peaceful and uneventful

半信半疑はんしんはんぎhalf in doubt; half-convinced; dubious; incredulous

半死半生はんしはんしょうall but dead; half killed

半睡半醒はんすいはんせいhalf asleep and half awake

半知半解はんちはんかいsuperficial knowledge; half knowledge

半身不随はんしんふずいhemiplegia (paralysis on one side of the body)

半醒半睡はんせいはんすいhalf awake and half asleep

卑怯千万ひきょうせんばんvery mean (sneaky); extremely unsportsmanlike

協心戮力きょうしんりくりょくcombined (concerted) efforts; solidarity; joining forces (with)

南征北伐なんせいほくばつattacking in all directions

南船北馬なんせんほくばconstant travelling; constant traveling; being on the move; restless wandering

単刀直入たんとうちょくにゅうstraight to the point; point-blank; frank; direct

単純明快たんじゅんめいかいsimple and clear; plain and simple

博学多才はくがくたさいwide knowledge and versatile talents

博学多識はくがくたしきerudition and extensive knowledge

博引旁証はくいんぼうしょうciting copious references

博愛主義はくあいしゅぎphilanthropism

博聞強記はくぶんきょうきbeing widely read and having a highly retentive memory

博覧多識はくらんたしきerudition and extensive knowledge; widely read and well-informed

博覧強記はくらんきょうきencyclopedic knowledge and strong memory

博識多才はくしきたさいwide knowledge and versatile talents; profound learning and varied attainments

印象批評いんしょうひひょうimpressionistic criticism

危急存亡ききゅうそんぼうlife-and-death matter; an emergency or crisis where survival is threatened

危機一髪ききいっぱつby a hair's breadth; in the nick of time; touch and go; close call; critical moment

即断即決そくだんそっけつmaking a swift decision; making immediate decisions and taking quick actions

即決即断そっけつそくだんprompt decision and prompt execution; make swift decisions and take quick actions

即身成仏そくしんじょうぶつattainment of Buddhahood during life

厚顔無恥こうがんむちshameless; brazen and unscrupulous

厭離穢土えんりえどabhorrence of (living in) this impure world

厳正中立げんせいちゅうりつstrict neutrality

反目嫉視はんもくしっしjealousy and enmity; being jealous of and at odds with (each other)

反間苦肉はんかんくにくstratagem for causing a rift in the enemy camp by using a seditious plot

反面教師はんめんきょうしbad example from which one can learn; good example of what not to do (esp. how not to behave); negative example

取捨選択しゅしゃせんたくselection; making a choice; sifting; decision to adopt or reject

受胎告知じゅたいこくちAnnunciation

叙位叙勲じょいじょくんconferment of Court ranks and decorations

古今東西ここんとうざいall times and places; all ages and countries

古今無双ここんむそうunparalleled in history

古今独歩ここんどっぽunmatched in history; unequaled in history

古往今来こおうこんらいin all ages; since antiquity

古色蒼然こしょくそうぜんantique-looking; looking hoary with patina

只管打坐しかんたざshikantaza; meditation practice where one stays intensely focused without focusing on any particular object

可惜身命あたらしんみょうvaluing one's body and life; holding one's life dear