Idioms
Fixed expressions whose meaning is not the sum of their parts.
1,283 results
- 同気相求むどうきあいもとむlike minds gather
- 同気相求めるどうきあいもとめるlike minds gather
- 胸を躍らせるむねをおどらせるto get excited, to make one's heart leap, to make one's heart pound
- いすかの嘴いすかのはし(something) not coming together (as one had hoped or expected), unfortunate turn of events, unexpected turn
- 骨を惜しむほねをおしむto spare oneself (the trouble)
- 白玉楼中の人となるはくぎょくろうちゅうのひととなるto die (of a poet, artist, etc.)
- 耳が痛いみみがいたいbeing painfully true (e.g. reprimand), making one's ears burn, striking home (e.g. remark), having an earache
- 苦汁をなめるくじゅうをなめるto have a bitter experience
- ケツの穴が小さいけつのあながちいさいsmall-minded, petty, cowardly, chicken-hearted
- 寸鉄人を刺すすんてつひとをさすto make a cutting remark
- 鼻薬を嗅がせるはなぐすりをかがせるto bribe
- みこしを据えるみこしをすえるto ensconce oneself (e.g. in a chair), to settle oneself down, to plant oneself
- 狐につままれるきつねにつままれるto be confused, to be baffled, to be dumbfounded, to be bewildered
- 虎の威を借る狐とらのいをかるきつねsmall person acting arrogantly on someone else's authority, person who borrows the authority of another to browbeat others自らに権力・権威があるわけでもないのに、他人、特に仕えている者の威光を背景に権勢をふるう者のたとえ。
- 狐に小豆飯きつねにあずきめしtrusting a cat with milk, setting a wolf to mind the sheep
- 寸鉄人を殺すすんてつひとをころすto make a cutting remark
- 騎虎の勢いきこのいきおいhaving no choice but to carry on, having no choice but to go on, being unable to change one's course of actionものごとの勢いが盛んになり途中でやめられなくなることのたとえ。
- 穴の開くほどあなのあくほど(staring) piercingly, (looking) hard
- 手が切れるてがきれるto break off with (e.g. one's lover), to be sharp enough to cut one's skin (of a new banknote, etc.)
- 竹を割ったようたけをわったようclear-cut and straightforward, (of a person) forward-thinking, honest, upright
- 棺を蓋いて事定まるかんをおおいてことさだまるa person's worth is assessed only when their coffin is sealed人の評価は死ぬまで定まらないことのたとえ。
- 顔を揃えるかおをそろえるto all be in attendance (at a meeting, etc.), to all gather together
- 天狗になるてんぐになるto get conceited, to become vain, to get stuck up, to get a swollen head得意になる。自惚れる。
- 一分の隙もないいちぶのすきもないwithout any weak spot, watertight (e.g. reasoning), impeccable
- 砂上の楼閣さじょうのろうかくhouse built on sand, house of cards
- 手が出ないてがでないout of one's reach, beyond one's grasp
- 型にはまるかたにはまるto fit the mold, to fit the mould, to be standard, to be customary
- 毒をもって毒を制すどくをもってどくをせいすfight fire with fire, set a thief to catch a thief, fight one evil with another
- 唾をつけるつばをつけるto call dibs, to establish a claim
- 油を注ぐあぶらをそそぐto pour oil on (something), to anoint with oil, to turn up, to add fuel (e.g. to a dispute)
- 鼻の下が長いはなのしたがながいsoft on women, weak for women, easily charmed (by women)
- 神の子かみのこSon of God, Jesus Christ, child of God, Christian
- 寝た子を起こすねたこをおこすto disturb the water, to wake a sleeping dog
- 天を仰ぎて唾すてんをあおぎてつばきすto harm oneself as a result of trying to harm someone else, to cut off one's nose to spite one's face
- 手が利くてがきくto be able, to be competent
- トサカに来るとさかにくるto get mad
- もろ肌を脱ぐもろはだをぬぐto strip to one's waist, to go at with might and main
- 風の便りかぜのたよりhearsay, rumour
- 子供の使いこどものつかいuseless messenger, doing only as one is told, fool's errand
- 手が出るてがでるto resort to violence, to use force, to get physical, to be able to get
- 頤で人を使うあごでひとをつかうto set someone to work in an arrogant fashion, to push someone around
- 横板に雨垂れよこいたにあまだれhalting speech, stammering
- 葦の髄から天井を覗くよしのずいからてんじょうをのぞくto have a narrow view of things
- 拍車がかかるはくしゃがかかるto expedite, to encourage, to spur (on)
- 欲の皮が突っ張るよくのかわがつっぱるto be greedy
- 腹の虫が鳴くはらのむしがなくone's stomach rumbles, one's stomach growls
- 腹の虫が鳴るはらのむしがなるone's stomach rumbles, one's stomach growls
- 枕を高くして眠るまくらをたかくしてねむるto sleep in peace, to sleep without fear
- 火を見るより明らかひをみるよりあきらかclear as day, plain as day, patently obvious「火を見るよりも明らか」の異形。
- 乗りかかった船のりかかったふねhaving gone too far to turn back
- 一石を投じるいっせきをとうじるto create a stir, to make waves, to raise a question about, to cause a sensation
- 心臓に毛が生えているしんぞうにけがはえているto be shameless, to have a lot of nerve, to have nerves of steel
- 心臓に毛が生えたしんぞうにけがはえたbrazen-faced, completely impudent
- 目の色を変えるめのいろをかえるto be in a tizzy, to be in a frenzy, to have one's eyes light up, to have a different look in one's eyes
- 束になってかかるたばになってかかるto attack all in a bunch, to attack all at once
- 爪に火をともすつめにひをともすto lead a stingy life, to scrimp and save, to pinch pennies
- 皮を被るかわをかぶるto conceal one's true nature or feelings, to feign friendliness, to play the hypocrite
- 火を見るよりも明らかひをみるよりもあきらかclear as day, plain as day, patently obvious疑う余地がなく、明白であること。
- 指をくわえるゆびをくわえるto look on enviously while doing nothing
- 眉に唾を塗るまゆにつばをぬるto keep one's wit about one, to be on one's guard, to be wary, to keep on one's toes