Idioms
Fixed expressions whose meaning is not the sum of their parts.
1,283 results
- 借りを返すかりをかえすto pay back a debt, to have one's revenge, to settle a score, to get back at someone
- 額に汗するひたいにあせするto work diligently
- 犬の川端歩きいぬのかわばたあるきwindow-shopping without any money, going out and returning without having bought or eaten anything
- 金の卵きんのたまごgolden child, promising young talent, golden egg, gold mine
- 一日一歩いちにちいっぽone step each day
- 盆と正月ぼんとしょうがつthe Bon Festival and New Year, two great things (happening at the same time)
- 山を当てるやまをあてるto make a lucky hit, to win against the odds, to anticipate correctly, to strike a vein of ore
- 地に落ちるちにおちるto drop like a rock (e.g. of reputation, power, influence), to go down the toilet
- 毛を吹いて疵を求むけをふいてきずをもとむto be nitpicky, to be fault-finding毛を吹き分けて隠れた疵を探すように、殊更に他人の欠点を見付けようとする。 殊更に他人の欠点を見付けようとして、かえって己の欠点を露呈してしまう。
- 渇に臨みて井を掘るかつにのぞみていをほるto fail to make timely preparations
- 笈を負うきゅうをおうto leave one's hometown to study
- 一箪の食一瓢の飲いったんのしいっぴょうのいんsimple food and drink, being content with a frugal life
- 驥尾に付すきびにふすto succeed by following the lead of an expert, to get ahead by following someone's lead
- 背中を押すせなかをおすto push someone (towards), to encourage someone
- パンドラの箱を開けるパンドラのはこをあけるto open (up) a Pandora's box
- 勝ち馬に乗るかちうまにのるto side with the winner, to ride (someone's) coattails, to get on the bandwagon勝利者または有利なものにつき、味方して便乗すること。
- 肩を入れるかたをいれるto support, to back up, to side with, to take sides
- 背中を追うせなかをおうto walk behind someone, to follow in someone's footsteps
- 鼻が利くはながきくto have an acute sense of smell, to have a good nose (for bargains, something amiss, etc.), to have a keen nose, to have an ability to quickly uncover things
- お釣りがくるおつりがくるto get change back, to be more than enough
- 肩透かしを食らうかたすかしをくらうto suffer a disappointment, to feel let down, to have one's attack (question, etc.) sidestepped, to be given the slip
- 俑を作るようをつくるto set a bad example, to create a bad precedent
- 苦境に立つくきょうにたつto be in difficulties, to be in trouble, to be in a difficult situation
- 城下の盟じょうかのちかいcapitulation, surrender, treaty signed under coercion
- スイッチが入るスイッチがはいるto (suddenly) get into a specific mood
- 瓢箪から駒が出るひょうたんからこまがでるsomething appearing from a place you wouldn't expect, something said as a joke actually happening, something impossible, something ridiculous（瓢箪くらいの大きさのものから、駒すなわち馬のように大きなものが出るようなありえない状況から）冗談や誤解で言ったことが意図せずに実現してしまうこと。
- 針の穴から天覗くはりのあなからてんのぞくto have a narrow view of things
- 癩の瘡うらみかったいのかさうらみexcessive envy (of someone in much the same position as oneself)
- 横槌で庭を掃くよこづちでにわをはくto hurriedly prepare one's home for guests
- 腹を切るはらをきるto commit seppuku, to commit harakiri, to take responsibility (and resign), to laugh until one splits one's side
- 連木で腹を切るれんぎではらをきるto do something impossible
- 杓子で腹を切るしゃくしではらをきるto do something impossible
- 滄海の一粟そうかいのいちぞくdrop in the bucket, drop in the ocean
- 烏の足跡からすのあしあとcrow's feet (wrinkles)
- 月夜に釜を抜かれるつきよにかまをぬかれるto make a blunder, to blunder
- 牛を馬に乗り換えるうしをうまにのりかえるto go from (using, etc.) something bad to something good
- 芋の煮えたもご存じないいものにえたもごぞんじないbeing ignorant of the ways of the world, knowing nothing
- 闇に鉄砲やみにてっぽうdoing something without having decided what one's goal for it is
- 薄氷の勝利はくひょうのしょうりnarrow victory
- 産声を上げるうぶごえをあげるto give one's first cry (of a newborn baby), to be born, to come into being, to be formed
- 戴くものは夏も小袖いただくものはなつもこそでtaking whatever one can get one's hands on, being greedy
- 返り血を浴びるかえりちをあびるto be spattered by blood from one's victim, to suffer a reaction, to receive a backlash
- 心を開くこころをひらくto open up to someone else, to divulge one's true feelings, to be openhearted
- ババを引くばばをひくto get the short end of the stick, to get the bad side of a bargain
- 寺から里へてらからさとへputting the cart before the horse
- 日向に氷ひなたにこおりsomething disappearing bit by bit
- 天と地の差てんとちのさdifference between night and day, world of difference, (being) poles apart
- 無常の風むじょうのかぜwind of impermanence (that ends people lives, like the wind scattering a flower's petals)
- 家を外にするいえをそとにするto be out of the house often, to spend little time at home, to go out a lot
- 足の裏の米粒あしのうらのこめつぶpointless (academic) degree, meaningless qualification, useless license
- 幕が切って落とされるまくがきっておとされるto begin grandly, to start with a bang, to make a spectacular beginning
- 命の水いのちのみずwater of life, life-giving water, distilled liquor (brandy, whisky, etc.), spirits
- 一端を担ういったんをになうto be partly responsible for, to have a part in, to play a role in
- 明治の大砲めいじのたいほうpoor swing, hanging back during the swing
- 象が踏んでも壊れないぞうがふんでもこわれないextremely robust
- 不帰の客となるふきのきゃくとなるto pass away, to depart this life
- 世を去るよをさるto die, to pass away, to enter the priesthood, to live a secluded life
- 頭がいっぱいあたまがいっぱいbeing preoccupied with, being obsessed, only thinking of, having only ... on one's mind
- 穴が開くほどあながあくほど(staring) piercingly, (looking) hard
- 心が溶けるこころがとけるone's heart melts