Idioms
Fixed expressions whose meaning is not the sum of their parts.
1,283 results
- 縁の下の力持ちえんのしたのちからもち他人のために努力や苦労しても認知されない状況。転じて、人知れず陰で努力・苦労すること。またそのような人の例え。縁の下の舞。unsung hero, person who does a thankless task
- 火がつくひがつくto catch fire, to be ignited, to ignite, to light (e.g. of a match)
- 骨が折れるほねがおれる労力を要する。困難である。to be hard (to do), to be difficult, to require much effort, to be laborious
- 一から十までいちからじゅうまで何から何まで。全部。すべて。from A to Z, in every particular, all without exception, in everything
- 一目置くいちもくおく能力が自分より優れた人に対して一歩譲って敬意を払うこと。to take off one's hat to a person, to acknowledge another's superiority
- 腹を据えるはらをすえるto make up one's mind, to calm oneself, to be patient, to endure
- 肩をいからせるかたをいからせるto square one's shoulders (in order to intimidate)
- 口を拭うくちをぬぐうto feign innocence, to feign ignorance, to wipe one's mouth
- 肩が凝るかたがこる首の後ろから肩にかけての箇所に、筋肉疲労などの不快感を感じること。 （比喩）堅苦しさを覚え、くつろげない。to have stiff shoulders, to feel ill at ease, to feel uncomfortable, to feel tense
- 型にはめるかたにはめるto stereotype, to squeeze into a pattern, to regiment
- 兄たり難く弟たり難しけいたりがたくていたりがたしboth people are superb in skill (and thus it is hard to rank them)
- 背筋が寒くなるせすじがさむくなるto feel a chill run down one's spine
- 大山鳴動して鼠一匹たいざんめいどうしてねずみいっぴき事前の騒ぎばかりが大きくて、実際の結果が小さいこと。much ado about nothing, great cry and little wool, the mountain laboured and brought forth a mouse
- 心が通うこころがかようto understand each other well, to relate to, to strike a sympathetic chord
- 口が滑るくちがすべるto make a slip of the tongue, to let something slip
- 股にかけるまたにかけるto travel all over, to be active in places widely apart
- 亡羊の嘆ぼうようのたんbemoaning the frustration of reaching truth (for surplus of academic paths), being at a loss
- 虻蜂取らずあぶはちとらず同時に複数のものを手に入れようとすると一つも手にすることができないということ。attempting two tasks at the same time, accomplishing neither, falling between two stools
- 琴瑟相和すきんしつあいわすto be happily married
- 頂門の一針ちょうもんのいっしんpainful reproach
- 河童の屁かっぱのへsomething easy to do, cinch
- 高嶺の花たかねのはな高級すぎて手が届かないこと。prize beyond one's reach, unattainable object, woman who is out of one's league
- 関の山せきのやまthe most one can do, the best one can do, the best one can expect
- 濡れ手で粟ぬれてであわ簡単に大きな利益を得ること。easy profit
- 奈落の底ならくのそこdepths of Hell, abyss, inescapable situation
- 立て板に水たていたにみずeloquence, volubility
- 風の子かぜのこ寒くても元気に外で遊ぶ子供。(lively, tireless) children, kids
- 風前の灯ふうぜんのともしびprecarious situation, precarious state
- 牛の歩みうしのあゆみsnail's pace
- 猫の子一匹いないねこのこいっぴきいない人の一人すらいないこと。completely deserted
- 猫の手も借りたいねこのてもかりたいとても忙しく、些細な手伝いでも望まれるほどに人手が不足していることのたとえ。extremely busy, short-handed
- 猫の目ねこのめ事物の移り変わりが激しいこと。(something) fickle, (something) very changeable, (something) kaleidoscopic, (something) undergoing rapid changes
- 猫の額ねこのひたい非常に狭いこと。tiny area, tiny surface
- 虎の子とらのこtiger cub, one's treasure, precious savings
- 獅子身中の虫しししんちゅうのむしsnake in one's bosom, treacherous friend
- 清濁併せ呑むせいだくあわせのむ心が広く、度量の大きさで善悪関係なく誰でも受け入れる。to be broad-minded enough to associate with various types of people, to possess a capacious mind
- 地団駄を踏むじだんだをふむto stamp one's feet (in frustration, impatience, etc.)
- 槍玉に挙げるやりだまにあげるto make an example of, to make a victim of, to hold up someone (something) to ridicule, to single out someone for criticism
- 鎌をかけるカマをかけるto trick someone (into confirming or revealing the truth), to ask a leading question
- 虎の尾を踏むとらのおをふむ非常に危険なことをすることのたとえ。to play with fire, to do something very dangerous, to take a great risk
- 春秋に富むしゅんじゅうにとむto be young, to be young and have a promising future
- 宝の持ち腐れたからのもちぐされ役に立つ物を持っていながら、使用せずに放っておくこと。 すぐれた才能・手腕があるのに、それを活用しないことの例え。また、生かし切れないでいること。pearls thrown before swine, unused possession, useless possession, waste of talent
- 手が上がるてがあがるto improve one's skill (esp. at calligraphy or drinking larger amounts of alcohol)
- 手の者てのものone's subordinate
- ウマが合ううまがあうto get on well (with someone)
- 夜の帳よるのとばり夜の闇を、とばり（カーテン）を下ろした様に例えたもの。veil of darkness, curtain of night
- 図に乗るずにのる一般に若年者など関係が下位にある者が、自分の企図していたとおりに事が運ぶのに気をよくして、分を超えた言動をすること。to get carried away, to become over-excited, to push one's luck, to push a good thing too far
- 足を洗うあしをあらう世間体の悪い職業や団体をやめる。やくざ仲間を抜ける。to quit (a shady business), to wash one's hands of, to cut one's ties with, to turn over a new leaf
- 跡をつけるあとをつけるto tag along, to follow, to tail, to shadow
- 甘い汁を吸うあまいしるをすうto be onto a good thing, to make money without working, to line one's pockets
- 板につくいたにつくto get used to, to become accustomed to, to be at home (on the stage)
- 一矢を報いるいっしをむくいるto retaliate, to return a blow, to strike back (at), to retort
- 一歩下がるいっぽさがるto take a step backward, to step back (i.e. to re-think something), to distance oneself (from), to take a back seat
- 一本取るいっぽんとるto score an ippon, to score a full point (in judo, kendo, etc.), to one-up (someone), to defeat (in an argument)
- 腕を振るううでをふるうto exercise one's talent, to display one's ability
- 裏をかくうらをかくto outwit, to outsmart, to counterplot, to defeat
- 運を天に任せるうんをてんにまかせるto leave to chance, to resign oneself to one's fate, to leave the rest to heaven
- 襟を正すえりをただすto straighten oneself, to straighten one's clothes and one's posture, to adopt a more serious attitude
- 屋上屋を架すおくじょうおくをかすto do something useless, to gild the lily, to gild refined gold
- 音に聞くおとにきくto be widely known, to be famous