Here are some
Japanese expressions, their
meanings and
English translations.
Japanese expressions/
idioms are also known as
kotowaza.
- asa meshi mae - "Before morning meal" - (an easy task)
- ame futte ji katamaru - "land that is rained on will harden" - (no pain, no gain)
- i no naka no kawazu - "a frog in the well doesn't know the ocean" - (one who needs to broaden their horizons)
- ishi no ue ni san nen - "sitting on a stone for 3 years" - (perseverence wins)
- ishin denshin - "reading each others heart" - (understanding without saying words)
- isseki ni chou - "one stone, two birds" - (kill two birds with one stone)
- iwanugahana - "not to speak is the flower of wisdom" - (some things are better left unsaid)
- ude o migaku - "to polish ones arms" - (improve skills)
- urifutatsu - "two halves of a cucumber" - (two peas in a pod)
- onna sannin yoreba kashimashii - "if three women visit, it's noisy"
- onoborisan - "one who jouneys to the capital" - (country bumpkin)
- kaze no tayori - "message carried on the wind" - (a rumor)
- kappa mo kawa nagare - "even a water sprite can get swept away by the river" - (anyone can make a mistake)
- kumo o tsukamuyou - "like grasping a cloud" - (wishful thinking)
- gishin'anki - "suspicious mind, dark devil" - (suspicion breeds suspicion)
- gou ni itte wa gou ni shitagae - "When you're back on the farm, do as the farmers" - (when in Rome, do as the Romans do)
- gomame no ha gishiri - "little fish grinding teeth" - (powerless)
- saru mo ki kara ochiru - "even monkeys fall from trees" - (everyone makes mistakes)
- suzume no namida - "a sparrow's tears" - (an insignificant amount)
- deru kugi wa utareru - "the post that sticks out gets hammered down" - (the more a person sticks out, the more they're pushed to conform)
- todai moto kurashi - "the base of the lighthouse is dark" - (unable to see what's right under your nose)
- tonari no shibafu wa aoi - "the neighbor's lawn is blue" - (the grass is always greener on the other side)
- naki tsura ni hachi - "the bee stings when you're already crying" - (when it rains, it pours)
- ne mo ha mo nai - "without roots or leaves" - (not widespread and doesn't have any sort of basis)
- neko mo shakushi mo - "even cats and rice ladles" - (absolutely everyone)
- neko ni koban - "a gold coin for a cat" - (giving something to someone who can't use it)
- neko no hitai - "a cat's forehead" - (a small amount)
- nou aru taka wa tsume o kakusu - "a hawk with talent conceals his claws" - (keeping a hidden talent)
- baka mo ichigei - "even a fool has one talent" - (even a fool can do something well)
- hane o nobasu - "to stretch out ones wings" - (cut loose)
- happou bijin - "beauty with eight faces" - (one who attempts to please everyone)
- haragei - "belly talk"
- hito hata ageru - "to hoist ones flag" - (personal success)
- hipparidako - "a spread eagle octopus" - (a very popular person)
- fuku sui bon ni kaerazu - "spilled water doesn't return to the tray" - (what's done is done)
- he o hitte shiri tsubome - "breaking wind, closing buttocks" - (too late to make a difference)
- mono no aware - "the pity of things" - (the way beautiful things are sadly short lived)
- yanagi ni kaze - "a willow in the wind" - (going with the flow, or bending under pressure but not breaking)
/msg me if you find more that I do not have listed, or if anything needs to be corrected.