Proverbs
Traditional sayings that express a lesson or a truth in a few words.
934 results
- 家柄より芋茎いえがらよりいもがらhaving food on the table is more important than having a high social standing
- 嫌よ嫌よも好きのうちいやよいやよもすきのうちsaying no is also an expression of fondness, no often means yes, the lady doth protest too much
- 満は損を招くまんはそんをまねくevery flow has its ebb, arrogance leads to downfall
- 持つべきものは友もつべきものはともa friend is a good thing to have, a good friend is a great blessing
- 持つべきものは友人もつべきものはゆうじんa friend is a good thing to have, a good friend is a great blessing
- 弘法も筆の誤りこうぼうもふでのあやまりanyone can make a mistake, Homer sometimes nods
- 聞くは一時の恥、聞かぬは一生の恥きくはいっときのはじ、きかぬはいっしょうのはじbetter to ask and be embarrassed than not ask and never know
- 男は松女は藤おとこはまつおんなはふじmen are the strong base to which women cling
- 親が死んでも食休みおやがしんでもじきやすみresting after a meal is sacrosanct
- やらずに後悔するよりやって後悔したほうがいいやらずにこうかいするよりやってこうかいしたほうがいいit is better to try and fail than never to try at all
- 落ち武者は薄の穂に怖ずおちむしゃはすすきのほにおずwhen you are in a state of fear, the smallest thing will startle you
- 明日は我が身あすはわがみwhat happens to one today may happen to another tomorrow, misfortunes can happen to anyone(他人事と思っていた事故や災難などが、明日には自分に降り掛かってくるかもしれないことから)不幸な出来事が、いつ我が身にふりかかってくるかわからないこと。
- 地獄の釜の蓋も開くじごくのかまのふたもあくeven the demons of hell rest during Obon and the New Year
- 仏の沙汰も銭ほとけのさたもぜにmoney talks, money is the key that opens all doors
- 文は武に勝るぶんはぶにまさるthe pen is mightier than the sword
- 巧遅は拙速に如かずこうちはせっそくにしかずit's better to be rough and ready than slow and elaborate
- 風邪は万病の元かぜはまんびょうのもとa cold can lead to all sorts of illnesses
- 人に歴史ありひとにれきしありeveryone has a past, every person has their own history
- 親しき中に垣をせよしたしきなかにかきをせよgood fences make good neighbors, a hedge between keeps friendship green
- 木の実は本へ落つきのみはもとへおつall returns to dust
- 勝って驕らず負けて腐らずかっておごらずまけてくさらずin victory, remember your humility; in defeat, remember your fighting spirit
- 勝つも負けるも時の運かつもまけるもときのうんvictory depends on the turn of fortune, winning and losing are both down to luck
- 便りがないのはよい便りたよりがないのはよいたよりno news is good news
- 転がる石には苔は付かないころがるいしにはこけはつかないa rolling stone gathers no moss
- 膝とも談合ひざともだんごうtwo heads are better than one
- 水清ければ魚棲まずみずきよければうおすまずthe morally upright have a hard time making friends人格などがあまりに潔白過ぎると、かえって他人がなじむ事が難しくなるという事の譬え。
- この父にしてこの子ありこのちちにしてこのこありlike father, like son
- この母にしてこの子ありこのははにしてこのこありthe apple doesn't fall far from the tree, like mother, like daughter, like mother, like son
- 神の正面仏のま尻かみのしょうめんほとけのましりput your household shrine in a high position in the front of the house and your Buddhist altar in the back
- 体は正直からだはしょうじきthe body is honest, your body reveals what you really think (or want)
- 話し上手は聞き上手はなしじょうずはききじょうずgood talkers make good listeners
- 色男金と力はなかりけりいろおとこかねとちからはなかりけりhandsome men have neither money nor power
- 東男に京女あずまおとこにきょうおんなthe best men are from Edo; the best women from Kyoto
- 京男に伊勢女きょうおとこにいせおんなthe best men are from Kyoto; the best women from Ise
- 馬鹿な子ほど可愛いばかなこほどかわいいa foolish child is more precious
- 一河の流れを汲むも他生の縁いちがのながれをくむもたしょうのえんthe events of today are destined by the past, even drawing water from the same river reveals a bond from a former life, even chance relationships can be attributed to the working of fate
- 愛は盲目あいはもうもくlove is blind
- 恋は闇こいはやみlove is blind
- 地獄も住み処じごくもすみかeven hell can be home
- 国破れて山河ありくにやぶれてさんがありthe land outlasts the king
- 明日という日もあるあしたというひもあるtomorrow is another day, there's always tomorrow
- 亀の年を鶴が羨むかめのとしをつるがうらやむsome people are never satisfied
- 失敗は成功の母しっぱいはせいこうのははfailure is the mother of success
- 女氏無くして玉の輿に乗るおんなうじなくしてたまのこしにのるeven a woman of low birth can gain status by marrying rich (if she has the looks)
- 一富士二鷹三茄子いちふじにたかさんなすびbest is Fuji, second is a hawk, third is an eggplant (of auspicious things to see in a dream, esp. one's first dream of the year)初夢で見ると縁起が良いといわれる三つのものを列挙した成句。一から順に、日本最高峰で霊峰の富士山、猛禽のタカ（鷹）、野菜のナス（茄子）を指す。
- 悪名は無名に勝るあくみょうはむめいにまさるit is better to be infamous than unknown
- 口は災いの門くちはわざわいのかどwords can lead to disaster, the tongue is the root of calamities, the more you open your mouth the more likely you are to put your foot in it
- 殷鑑遠からずいんかんとおからずlessons from history are not far to seek戒めとする例は、遠い昔ではなく、つい最近のものであるということの例え。
- 渇に臨みて井を穿つかつにのぞみてせいをうがつto fail to make timely preparations
- 人生一度きりじんせいいちどきりyou only live once, you only have one life
- 九層の台は累土より起こるきゅうそうのうてなはるいどよりおこるmany a little makes a mickle, every little helps
- 一葉落ちて天下の秋を知るいちようおちててんかのあきをしるa straw will show which way the wind blows, a falling leaf shows that autumn has come
- 麒麟も老いぬれば駑馬に劣るきりんもおいぬればどばにおとるeven an outstanding person becomes inferior when getting old
- 細工は流々仕上げを御覧じろさいくはりゅうりゅうしあげをごろうじろdon't complain until the job is finished, the end crowns the work
- 美味も喉三寸びみものどさんすんgood things do not last long
- 生は死の始めせいはしのはじめbirth is the beginning of death
- 性相近し、習い相遠しせいあいちかし、ならいあいとおしby human nature we are close, through practice we grow apart, by nature, near together; by practice far apart
- 大徳は小怨を滅すだいとくはしょうえんをめっすgreat virtues extinguish small grudges
- 氷は水より出でて水よりも寒しこおりはみずよりいでてみずよりもさむしstudents surpass their masters
- 京に田舎ありきょうにいなかありeven in bustling cities there are places that have a rural quality to them都のようなにぎやかな場所にも、田舎のような風習を持つ所や寂しい場所はあるということ。 良い場所にも欠点があるということ。