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日本語
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
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200
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319
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259
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66
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130
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76
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139
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633
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102
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一億一心
いちおくいっしん
national unity (esp. during wartime)
一味同心
いちみどうしん
(people) working together with one mind
一大決心
いちだいけっしん
momentous (crucial) decision
一子相伝
いっしそうでん
transmission of the secrets of an art, craft, trade or learning from father to only one child
一心不乱
いっしんふらん
wholeheartedly; with heart and soul; intently; with undivided attention; with intense concentration; single-mindedly
一心同体
いっしんどうたい
being one in body and soul; of one flesh; two hearts beating as one
一念発起
いちねんほっき
being resolved to (do something); having a wholehearted intention
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一意専心
いちいせんしん
single-mindedly; wholeheartedly; with all one's heart; with one's heart and soul
一所懸命
いっしょけんめい
very hard; with utmost effort; as hard as one can; with all one's might; for dear life; eagerly
一日三秋
いちじつさんしゅう
(waiting) impatiently; (spending) many a weary day; each moment seeming like an eternity
一日千秋
いちじつせんしゅう
(waiting) impatiently; (spending) many a weary day; each moment seeming like an eternity
一暴十寒
いちばくじっかん
bursts of exertion will fail to bear fruit if interrupted by long periods of idleness; strenuous efforts, unless sustained, are to no avail
一望千里
いちぼうせんり
sweeping view of the eye; boundless expanse
一球入魂
いっきゅうにゅうこん
putting one's heart and soul into each pitch
一目十行
いちもくじゅうぎょう
outstanding reading ability; one glance, ten lines
一目瞭然
いちもくりょうぜん
obvious; (as) clear as day; plain to see
万死一生
ばんしいっしょう
advancing in the face of death; having a narrow escape from the jaw of death
三寒四温
さんかんしおん
alternation of three cold and four warm days (usu. in late winter and early spring)
下学上達
かがくじょうたつ
beginning one's studies with something familiar and gradually increasing the depth of learning
不労所得
ふろうしょとく
unearned income; investment income; passive income
世道人心
せどうじんしん
(public) morals and sentiments
九分九厘
くぶくりん
almost certainly; in all probability; ten to one; in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred; near-completeness; near-perfection
乱離骨灰
らりこっぱい
being scattered in all directions; being broken up and dispersed
五体投地
ごたいとうち
prostration; placing knees, hands and forehead on the ground to show utmost respect
五臓六腑
ごぞうろっぷ
the five viscera and the six internal organs; inside one's body; in one's heart
五里霧中
ごりむちゅう
totally at a loss; lose one's bearings; in a maze; in a fog; all at sea; up in the air
人品骨柄
じんぴんこつがら
personal appearance and physique; person's appearance and physique giving a feeling of respectable character
人心一新
じんしんいっしん
complete change in public sentiment; leading the thought of the people to an entirely different channel
人心収攬
じんしんしゅうらん
winning the hearts of the people; capturing public sentiment
人心恟々
じんしんきょうきょう
panic-stricken (people); frightened (masses); alarmed
人相風体
にんそうふうてい
someone's looks and personal appearance
人面獣心
じんめんじゅうしん
beast in human form
今是昨非
こんぜさくひ
complete reversal of values or ways of thinking (over time); What appeared wrong in the past now appears right; realizing and regretting the past errors of one's ways
仏心鬼手
ぶっしんきしゅ
compassionate ruthlessness; merciless scalpel of a merciful surgeon; a Buddha's heart and a demon's hand
以心伝心
いしんでんしん
telepathy; tacit understanding; thought transference; communion of mind with mind; non-verbal Zen Buddhist transmission to a disciple of the central tenets of Buddhism
伴食大臣
ばんしょくだいじん
nominal (figurehead) minister; titular minister
伴食宰相
ばんしょくさいしょう
incompetent cabinet minister; figurehead minister
低頭平身
ていとうへいしん
prostrating oneself
保革伯仲
ほかくはくちゅう
conservatives and reformists being neck and neck; balanced conservative and progressive strengths
俯仰天地
ふぎょうてんち
looking up and down, from heaven to earth (having nothing to be ashamed of); swearing by Heaven and Earth (having done nothing to be ashamed of)
傲慢不遜
ごうまんふそん
haughty; arrogant; overbearing
先手必勝
せんてひっしょう
victory goes to the one who makes the first move; being quick to take action leads to victory; the early bird gets the worm
八面六臂
はちめんろっぴ
competent in all fields; jack of all trades; very active in many fields; versatile; all-round; 8 faces and 6 arms
内剛外柔
ないごうがいじゅう
gentle on the outside but tough on the inside; an iron hand in a velvet glove
内柔外剛
ないじゅうがいごう
tough on the outside but soft at heart
円満具足
えんまんぐそく
(things) being complete, tranquil, and in harmony
冷酷無情
れいこくむじょう
cruel and heartless; merciless; implacable
冷酷無残
れいこくむざん
cruel and heartless; merciless; implacable; cold-blooded
出没自在
しゅつぼつじざい
appearing and disappearing at will; elusive; phantom-like
切歯扼腕
せっしやくわん
being enraged (indignant, impatient); gnashing the teeth and clenching the arms on the breast (in anger or regret)