Four-character idioms

Set phrases made of four kanji (yojijukugo), listed by how common they are.

• Four-character idioms
• Proverbs
• Idioms

1,841 results

• 因果覿面いんがてきめんthe swiftness of retributive justice
• 淫祠邪教いんしじゃきょうevil heresies
• 陰陽五行いんようごぎょうthe cosmic dual forces (yin and yang) and the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth) in Chinese cosmology
• 羽化登仙うかとうせんa sense of release (as if one had wings and were riding on air)仙人となり羽が生えて天上に昇ること。 酒に酔い、気持ちがよくなること。
• 雨奇晴好うきせいこうscenery being beautiful in both rainy and sunny weather「晴好雨奇」に同じ。
• 雲雨巫山うんうふざんsexual liaison
• 雲煙過眼うんえんかがんnot being obsessed with something very long (just as clouds and haze pass swiftly before one's eyes)
• 雲集霧散うんしゅうむさん(many things) gathering like clouds and vanishing like mist, swarming and scattering
• 雲水行脚うんすいあんぎゃitinerant monk being on pilgrimages to many lands
• 永久不変えいきゅうふへんpermanence, forever unchangingいつまでも変わらず残り続けること。
• 永劫回帰えいごうかいきeternal recurrence, eternal return
• 永字八法えいじはっぽうEight Principles of Yong漢字の「永」に含まれる8種類の基本的な筆画。
• 永代供養えいたいくようservices performed in perpetuity by a Buddhist temple for the repose of a departed soul
• 英雄豪傑えいゆうごうけつhero, warrior of matchless valor, heroic character
• 益者三友えきしゃさんゆうthree kinds of beneficial friends: straightforward, sincere, and well-informed ones
• 燕雀鴻鵠えんじゃくこうこくhow can a small bird (a sparrow, a petty person) understand the aspirations of a great bird (a phoenix), only a hero can understand a hero
• 遠謀深慮えんぼうしんりょdeep design and forethought, farsighted and deeply-laid plan
• 延命息災えんめいそくさいhealth and longevity, enjoying a long and healthy life being untouched by disaster
• 遠慮近憂えんりょきんゆうfailure to think of the long term leads to grief in the short term
• 懊悩煩悶おうのうはんもんanguish, agony
• 汚名返上おめいへんじょうclearing one's name, redeeming oneself, restoring one's honor（和製漢熟語）マイナスの評判を取り下げ、ゼロ状態、又はプラスの評判にしようとすること。
• 怨敵退散おんてきたいさんinvoking disaster upon one's mortal enemy, Confusion to the enemy!
• 開眼供養かいげんくようceremony to consecrate a newly made Buddhist statue or image by inserting the eyes (thereby investing it with soul)
• 街談巷語がいだんこうごstreet gossips and idle rumors, hearsay
• 海底撈月かいていろうげつtotally useless (fruitless) effort, wasting time on an impossible task (like trying to scoop up a reflected moon from the bottom of the sea)（麻雀）最後のツモで上がる役。
• 開闢以来かいびゃくいらいsince the beginning of the world, since the dawn of history
• 傀儡政権かいらいせいけんpuppet government, puppet regime外見は独立国であるが、実質的に他国から支配を受けている政権。
• 各種各様かくしゅかくようindividual (different) ways of doing things, being different (varied) for each item (type)
• 花紅柳緑かこうりゅうりょくred blossoms and green willows, beautiful scenery of spring, natural beauty, beauty of nature
• 家常茶飯かじょうさはんeveryday occurrence, commonplace of life, nothing out of the ordinaryありふれたこと。
• 雅俗折衷がぞくせっちゅうblending of the classical and colloquial styles
• 家族団らんかぞくだんらんhappy family circle, sitting in a family circle and enjoying conversation, harmony in a family
• 画蛇添足がだてんそくmaking an unnecessary addition (to), gilding the lily余分なもの。不要のもの。なくてもよいもの 自分の付け足しの言葉をへりくだっていう語
• 花鳥諷詠かちょうふうえいthe beauties of nature and the harmony that exists between it and man (as the key poetic theme of a haiku)
• 瓜田李下かでんりかbe careful not to invite the least suspicion, leave no room for scandal
• 歌舞音曲かぶおんぎょくsinging, dancing and music, (public) entertainment, performing arts歌や舞、楽器の演奏。芸能、芸術の総称。
• 臥竜鳳雛がりょうほうすうgifted young person who shows much promise, unrecognized genius, great person whose talent is hidden under a bushel
• 閑雲野鶴かんうんやかくlife in natural setting, free from worldly caresなにものにも束縛されず自由に生きることのたとえ。
• 簡潔明瞭かんけつめいりょうclear and concise
• 玩物喪志がんぶつそうしforgetting one's serious objectives by becoming engrossed in trivial pursuits, being distracted by trivial objects and losing sight of one's original goal珍しい物に夢中になるあまり、大志を忘れてしまうこと。
• 簡明直截かんめいちょくせつsimple and plain, frank, direct and unambivalent, straightforward
• 顔面蒼白がんめんそうはくone's face turning pale (ashen), the color being drained from one's face
• 気韻生動きいんせいどうbeing animated (vivid) with grace (elegance, refinement)
• 奇貨可居きかおくべしyou must seize every golden opportunity, strike while the iron is hot, when you find a rare good buy, seize upon it for a future sale at a much higher price
• 規矩準縄きくじゅんじょうrules and standards, norms, criteria規則。法則。
• 機嫌気褄きげんきづまhumour, humor, temper, mood
• 貴顕紳士きけんしんしgentlemen of (high) eminence, notables, dignitaries
• 貴賤貧富きせんひんぷhigh and low, and rich and poor
• 偽装工作ぎそうこうさくdiversionary tactics (maneuvering), disguise, hide by camouflage
• 鬼面仏心きめんぶっしんhaving the face of a devil and the heart of Buddha, having a stern face but a tender heart
• 救国済民きゅうこくさいみんsaving a nation and providing relief to the people
• 牛鬼蛇神ぎゅうきだしんwicked and perverse, weird and incoherent
• 鳩首協議きゅうしゅきょうぎput heads together and confer, convene and discuss, go into a huddle (over)
• 鳩首凝議きゅうしゅぎょうぎput heads together and confer, convene and discuss, go into a huddle (over)
• 鳩首謀議きゅうしゅぼうぎgo into a huddle (over), hold a secret conference (about), put heads together and conspire
• 窮鼠噛猫きゅうそごうびょうa cornered rat will bite the cat, one who is cornered will fight like a devil
• 矯角殺牛きょうかくさつぎゅうtrying to straighten the horns of a bull, and killing it in the process, trying to correct a small defect and ruining the whole thing, the cure is worse than the disease
• 鏡花水月きょうかすいげつflowers reflected on a mirror and the moon reflected on the water's surface, something that is visible but having no substance, the subtle and profound beauty of poems that cannot be described in words鏡に写った花や水面に写った月は目に見えていても実際には摑めないこと。 感じていても表現できないこと。
• 恐惶謹言きょうこうきんげんvery truly yours, very respectfully yours
• 強硬手段きょうこうしゅだんtough measure, firm step, strong measure