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Translation Whitepaper - Japanese Proverbs

Translation Whitepaper > Japanese Proverbs

This page has a list of Japanese proverbs, their pronunciation, literal translations into English, descriptions of why they mean what they do, and links to English proverbs that have similar meanings.

Proverb
JapaneseEnglish
明日の百より今日の五十
あすのひゃくよりきょうのごじゅう
Fifty today is better than 100 tomorrow.
急がば回れ
いそがばまわれ
If you are in a hurry, take the long route.
金は天下の回りもの
かねはてんかのまわりもの
Money moves around the world.
画竜点睛
がりょうてんせい
Draw the eyes of a painted dragon.
傷口に塩
きずぐちにしお
Salt in a wound
転ばぬ先の杖
ころばぬさきのつえ
Before you fall, use a cane.
猿も木から落ちる
さるもきからおちる
Even monkeys fall from trees.
三度目の正直
さんどめのしょうじき
The third time is true.
死んだ人にムチを打つ
しんだひとにむちをうつ
To whip a dead person.
たで食う虫も好き好き
たでくうむしもすきずき
The insect that eats the smartweed plant thinks it
天は二物を与えず
てんはにぶつをあたえず
Heaven doesn't give out double servings.
出る杭は打たれる
でるくいはうたれる
The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.
獲らぬ狸の皮算用
とらぬたぬきのかわざんよう
Counting the skins of tanuki that you haven't caught.
泣きっ面に蜂
なきっつらにはち
Bees on a crying face.
習うより慣れろ
ならうよりなれろ
Don't learn, get used to it.
二度ある事は三度ある
にどあることはさんどある
What happens twice will happen three times.
根掘り葉掘り
ねほりはほり
Pull up every root and every leaf.
能ある鷹はつめを隠す
のうあるたかはつめをかくす
Talented hawks hide their talons.
花より団子
はなよりだんご
Dango (mochi balls) over flowers. Food over flowers.
蛇に睨まれた蛙
へびににらまれたかえる
A frog stared at by a snake.
目から鱗が落ちる
めからうろこがおちる
The scales fall from one's eyes.
類は友を呼ぶ
るいはともをよぶ
Similar people attract friends.
歴史を学ばなければ、歴史が教えに来る
れきしをまなばなければ、れきしがおしえにくる
If we don't learn from history, history will come to teach us.

Quote
JapaneseEnglish

Four Kanji Phrase (四字熟語)
JapaneseEnglish
一蓮托生
いちれんたくしょう
To be reborn on the same lotus flower.
臥薪嘗胆
がしんしょうたん
Sleep on sticks, lick liver.
空中楼閣
くうちゅうろうかく
Castles in the sky
乾坤一擲
けんこんいってき
Bet everything on a roll of the dice.
捲土重来
けんどちょうらい
Come back again kicking up dust.
才色兼備
さいしょくけんび
Have both brains and beauty.
自業自得
じごうじとく
Your work, your profit.

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