Four-character idioms
Set phrases made of four kanji (yojijukugo), listed by how common they are.
1,841 results
- 亀毛兎角きもうとかくthings that do not existこの世にありえないもの。実在するはずのないもの。
- 兎角亀毛とかくきもうthings that do not existこの世にありえないもの。実在するはずのないもの。「亀毛兎角」に同じ。
- 改過自新かいかじしんchanging one's attitude or conduct and making a new start, turning over a new leaf
- 片利共生へんりきょうせいcommensalism
- 不知不識ふちふしきbeing unaware of what one is doing無意識のうちであること。
- 天然自然てんねんしぜんnatural, naturally
- 怨憎会苦おんぞうえくthe pain of meeting people one dislikes憎い者と会う苦しみ。仏教にいう四苦八苦のひとつ。
- 求不得苦ぐふとくくthe pain of not getting what one seeks求めるものが得られない苦しみ。欲望が満たされない苦しみ。仏教でいう四苦八苦のひとつ。
- 五陰盛苦ごおんじょうくpain caused by the five skandhas仏教の八苦の一つ。身体全ての働き(五蘊)が盛んであるが故に苦しみが次から次へと湧き上がってくること。
- 喧々諤々けんけんがくがくtumultuous (with everyone voicing their opinions simultaneously), uproarious
- 脚下照顧きゃっかしょうこlook carefully where your own footsteps fall, seek enlightenment by knowing yourself and not by watching others, know thyself
- 内疎外親ないそがいしんsuperficially cordial but actually uninterested
- 烏焉魯魚うえんろぎょmiswriting a word, using the wrong kanji to write a word
- 連銭葦毛れんぜんあしげdapple gray (horse coat color), dapple grey
- 盲亀浮木もうきふぼくunlikely event, rare occurrence
- 狡兎良狗こうとりょうくWhen the enemy is defeated, the victorious soldiers can be killed off
- 金烏玉兎きんうぎょくとsun and moon
- 面壁九年めんぺきくねんfacing a wall for nine years in meditation (by Bodhidharma at Shaolin Temple)
- 和顔愛語わがんあいごwith a gentle face and a nice word菩薩の親しみやすく和やかな態度。
- 官官接待かんかんせったいbureaucrats entertaining bureaucrats using public funds役人が上級官庁に便宜を図ってもらうために、上級官庁の役人を接待すること。
- 抜苦与楽ばっくよらくa Buddha or Bodhisattva taking away suffering and conferring peace
- 二河白道にがびゃくどうthe road to paradise is a white road between two rivers, one of water (wrath) and one of fire (greed)
- 落花啼鳥らっかていちょうthe poetic feeling of a late spring scene (with flowers scattering and birds chirping)
- 是生滅法ぜしょうめっぽうthe law of arising and ceasing, the law of creation and destruction
- 生滅滅已しょうめつめついgoing beyond life and death and entering Nirvana
- 枯木寒巌こぼくかんがんwithered trees and frozen rocks
- 枯木死灰こぼくしかいwithered trees and cold ash
- 竹林の七賢ちくりんのしちけんSeven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
- 頓首再拝とんしゅさいはいrespectfully yours
- 臨終正念りんじゅうしょうねんholding the proper state of mindfulness at the moment of death
- 五族協和ごぞくきょうわfive races under one union (Han, Manchurians, Mongolians, Hui, Tibetans; founding principle of the Republic of China), harmony of the five races (Manchurians, Han, Mongolians, Koreans, Japanese; official policy of Manchukuo)
- 禍福得喪かふくとくそうcalamity, good fortune, success and failure
- 五体投地ごたいとうちprostration敬礼の一つ。両膝の次に両肘を地に着けて地に伏し、合掌しながら頭を地に着ける。
- 読書尚友どくしょしょうゆうby reading books you can count the wise philosophers of the past as friends読書を通じて、昔の賢人を友とすること。尚友。
- 百八煩悩ひゃくはちぼんのうthe 108 kleshas, the 108 afflictions
- 八月大名はちがつだいみょうthe 8th month (of the lunar calendar) is the quietest for farmers
- 傷弓の鳥しょうきゅうのとり(person who is) once bitten twice shy, someone who has become overly cautious due to a bad experience
- 常在戦場じょうざいせんじょうalways conducting oneself as though one were on a battlefield, being combat ready at all times (of a person)常に戦場にいるような心構えでいること。
- 懸腕直筆けんわんちょくひつcalligraphy technique of holding the brush perpendicularly, lower arm raised, and elbow held away from the body
- 如意宝珠にょいほうじゅCintamani stone, wish-fulfilling jewel
- 応急措置おうきゅうそちstopgap measure, quick-fix solution
- 異曲同工いきょくどうこうdifferent in appearance but essentially the same in content, equal in skills or workmanship but different in style or artistic flavor, the same for all practical purposes
- 一文半銭いちもんきなかmeagre sum of money
- 強権発動きょうけんはつどうinvoking the coercive power of the state, calling upon the power of the state
- 月卿雲客げっけいうんかくcourt nobles and other courtiers allowed into the Imperial Palace
- 懸軍万里けんぐんばんりmilitary expedition deep into enemy territory
- 嘉辰令月かしんれいげつauspicious dateめでたい月日。縁起が良い月日。
- 光風霽月こうふうせいげつserenity
- 黄粱一炊こうりょういっすいfleeting nature of riches and honour (honor)
- 冷暖自知れいだんじちspiritual enlightenment only comes through personal experience
- 涅槃寂静ねはんじゃくじょうenlightenment leads to serenity
- 諸法無我しょほうむがidea that all things in the universe lack their own unchangeable substances仏教の基本的・哲学的な主張を表わす成句で、「あらゆる存在（ダルマ：法）の中には我（アートマン）は無い」という意味。（アートマンはバラモン教の用語（概念）で、「意識の最も深い内側にある個の根源」のこと。真我と訳されることもある。）
- 衆口一致しゅうこういっちspeaking with one voice, being unanimous
- 萎靡沈滞いびちんたいdecline of energy and vigour (vigor)
- 坐作進退ざさしんたいdeportment, behavior, carriage
- 実事求是じつじきゅうぜpractical search for the truth
- 舞文曲筆ぶぶんきょくひつtwisting of the truth in one's writing, playing with text to distort the truth
- 一強多弱いっきょうたじゃくone strong, many weak
- 悉皆成仏しっかいじょうぶつall things have the Buddha nature
- 羞花閉月しゅうかへいげつthe charms of a uniquely beautiful woman