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Proverbs & idioms

66 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

一宿一飯いっしゅくいっぱん(being beholden to someone for a favor of) a night's lodging and a meal
一汁一菜いちじゅういっさいone-plate meal; simple meal; austerity diet
一視同仁いっしどうじんloving every human being with impartiality; universal brotherhood; universal benevolence
一顰一笑いっぴんいっしょうone's mood; one's caprice; a smile or a frown
三日坊主みっかぼうずperson who cannot stick to anything; unsteady worker; monk for three days
不惜身命ふしゃくしんみょうdevoting one's body and soul to Buddhist teachings; unsparing devotion to Buddhism
中肉中背ちゅうにくちゅうぜい

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八紘一宇はっこういちうuniversal brotherhood; all eight corners of the world under one roof

六韜三略りくとうさんりゃくThe Six Secret Teachings and The Three Strategies of Huang Shigong (two ancient Chinese military treatises); secrets (of the art of war, etc.); mysteries

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

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

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

和敬清寂わけいせいじゃくharmony, respect, purity and tranquility; the four most important elements of the tea ceremony

四海兄弟しかいけいていpeople in the whole world being all brothers; universal brotherhood

四海同胞しかいどうほうuniversal brotherhood

四面楚歌しめんそかbeing surrounded by enemies on all sides; being betrayed (forsaken) by everybody

変幻自在へんげんじざいphantasmagoric; protean; shape-shifting; kaleidoscopic; capable of ever-changing appearance

奇技淫巧きぎいんこうingenious but pointless trick; artifice for its own sake

奇貨可居きかおくべしyou must seize every golden opportunity; strike while the iron is hot; when you find a rare good buy, seize upon it for a future sale at a much higher price

家常茶飯かじょうさはんeveryday occurrence; commonplace of life; nothing out of the ordinary

屠蘇機嫌とそきげんfeeling a little drunk with the New Year's sake

巧言令色こうげんれいしょくflattery; honeyed words

弱肉強食じゃくにくきょうしょくthe law of the jungle; the strong prey on the weak; the weak become the victim of the strong

手前勝手てまえがってself-centered; self-centred; selfish

手前味噌てまえみそself-flattery; singing one's own praises

日常茶飯にちじょうさはんeveryday occurrence

日進月歩にっしんげっぽsteady progress; rapid advance

椀飯振舞おうばんぶるまいlavish feast; splendid banquet; corporate largess; lavish hospitality

歳寒三友さいかんさんゆうthe three friends of winter (pine, bamboo and plum)

殺生禁断せっしょうきんだんprohibition against hunting and fishing

沈魚落雁ちんぎょらくがんcharms of a uniquely beautiful woman; (so beautiful that) fish stay on the bottom of water and flying wild geese fall from the sky in shame

泰山圧卵たいざんあつらんthe strong overwhelming the weak; completing various things without difficulty; Mt. Tai crushes an egg

烏焉魯魚うえんろぎょmiswriting a word; using the wrong kanji to write a word

無私無欲むしむよくselflessness; unselfishness

現世利益げんせりやくbenefits gained in this world through observance of the Buddhist teachings; happiness gained in this world through observance of the Buddhist teachings

甘言蜜語かんげんみつごhoneyed words; flattery

甜言蜜語てんげんみつごhoneyed words; flattery

確固不動かっこふどうunshakeable (e.g. belief); invincible; steadfastness; firmness; unwavering (e.g. support); absolutely secure

確固不抜かっこふばつdetermined; steadfast; unswerving; unshakable

社交辞令しゃこうじれいsomething said for politeness' sake; diplomatic language; honeyed words; lip service; empty compliment

私利私欲しりしよくself-interest; selfish desire; greed

箪食壺漿たんしこしょうreceiving with food and drink (e.g. troops); baskets of rice and vessels of congee

箪食瓢飲たんしひょういんsimple food and drink; being content with a frugal life; a bamboo dish of rice and a gourd of drink

粉飾決算ふんしょくけっさんfraudulent accounting; window-dressing settlement of accounts; creative accounting

粉骨砕身ふんこつさいしんmaking one's best exertions

精進潔斎しょうじんけっさいpurifying oneself (religiously) by abstaining from eating meat

紅灯緑酒こうとうりょくしゅ(nights of) fun, food, and drink; bright-light district; nightlife district

羊頭狗肉ようとうくにくcrying wine and selling vinegar; deceptive advertisement

美酒佳肴びしゅかこうfine wines and prized delicacies

肉食妻帯にくじきさいたいmeat and matrimony (Buddhism); Buddhist priest eating meat dishes and being married