Nihon-no-kotowaza
Japanese Proverbs and Idioms

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On Being Wise:
spkr 　言わぬが花　 Literal: Not-speaking is the flower.
Iwanu ga hana Meaning: some things are better left unsaid;
Silence is golden

spkr 　薮をつついて蛇を出す　 Literal: Poke around in a bush and a snake will come out.
yabu hebi da -- that'll teach you to keep quiet, or
yabu hebi ni naru -- you will make work for yourself.
Yabu wo tsutsuite hebi wo dasu Meaning: Let sleeping dogs lie.

spkr 　馬鹿は死ななきゃ治らない　 Literal: a fool is only cured by dying.
Baka wa shinanakya naoranai Meaning: Once a fool, always a fool.

spkr 　親馬鹿　 Literal: parent fool.
Oya-baka Meaning: a parent who believes everything their child does is wonderful.

spkr 　馬鹿も一芸　 Literal: even a fool has one talent.
Baka mo ichi-gei Meaning: even a fool is good at something.

spkr 　猫に小判　 Literal: a gold coin to a cat.
Neko ni koban Meaning: don't offer things to a person incapable of appreciating them.

spkr 　豚に真珠　 Literal: a pearl to a pig.
Buta ni shinji Meaning: don't offer things to a person incapable of appreciating them.

spkr 　馬の耳に念仏　 Literal: a sutra (Buddhist prayer) in a horse's ear.
Uma no mimi ni nembutsu Meaning: a wasted effort

spkr 　女三人寄れば姦しい　 Literal: if three women visit, noisy (kashimashii is made up of three small kanji for woman).
Onna sannin yoreba kashimashii Meaning: wherever three women gather it is noisy.

spkr 　仏の顔も三度　 Literal: Buddha's face too three times.
Hotoke no kao mo san do Meaning: To try the patience of a saint, even a Buddha's face will loose it's composure if asked something too many times.

spkr 　屁と火事はもとから騒ぐ　 Literal: Fart and fire, from the origin, make a fuss.
He to kaji wa moto kara sawagu Meaning: It is often the originator who complains loudest.

spkr 　良薬口に苦し　 Literal: Good medicine tastes bitter in the mouth.
Ryooyaku kuchi ni nigashi Meaning: Good advice is often unpleasant and difficult to accept. Sometimes the bitter truth is the best medicine.

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On the Quality of Life:
spkr 　井の中の蛙大海をしらず　 Literal: a frog in a well doesn't know the ocean.
I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu Meaning: a country person, or encourage someone to get a wider perspective.

spkr 　住めば都　 Literal: If residing, capital/metropolis.
Sumeba miyako Meaning: Wherever you live, you come to love it.

spkr 　猫のひたいのような　 Literal: like a cat's forehead.
Neko no hitai no you na Meaning: when referring to a very small room.

spkr 　十人十色　 Literal: ten people, ten colours.
Juu-nin to-iro Meaning: Everyone has their own tastes;
Different strokes for different folks'.

spkr 　出る釘は打たれる　 Literal: the nail which sticks out will get hammered.
Deru kugi wa utareru Meaning: encourage conformity,
OK to be different but not too different.

spkr 　となりの芝生は青い　 Literal: the neighbour's lawn is green.
Tonari no shibafu wa aoi Meaning: the grass is always greener on the other side.

spkr 　郷に入っては、郷に従え　 Literal: Entering the village, obey the village.
Gou ni itte wa, gou ni shitagae Meaning: When in Rome, do as the Romans.

spkr 　蓼食う虫も好き好き　 Literal: knotweed eating insect also various tastes.
Tade kuu mushi mo suki-zuki Meaning: There is even an insect which likes to eat knotweed, there's no accounting for tastes.
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Take Advantage of Opportunities:
spkr 　さばを読む　 Literal: to read the mackerel.
Saba wo yomu Meaning: to manipulate figures to one's advantage.

spkr 　捕らぬ狸の皮算用　 Literal: count the skins of racoons which haven't been caught.
Toranu tanuki no kawa zan'you Meaning: don't count your chickens before they've hatched.

spkr 　一石二鳥　 Literal: one stone, two birds.
Isseki ni chou Meaning: Kill two birds with one stone.

spkr 　脳ある鷹は爪を隠す　 Literal: the hawk with talent hides its talons.
Nou aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu Meaning: a wise person keeps some talents in reserve; the person who knows most often says least.

spkr 　頭隠して、尻隠さず　 Literal: cover/hide your head, and not cover your bottom.
Atama kakushite, shiri kakusazu Meaning: Be careful not to expose your weak point while attempting to protect yourself.

spkr 　光陰矢のごとし　 Literal: time, like an arrow.
Kouin ya no gotoshi Meaning: Time flies; time and tide wait for no man; life is short.

spkr 　地震、雷、火事、親父　 Literal: Earthquakes, Thunder, Fires, Fathers.
Jishin, Kaminari, Kaji, Oyaji Meaning: compares the traditional Japanese father with other things to be feared.

spkr 　三人寄れば文珠の知恵　 Literal: if three people gather, Monju'sa (buddhist god of wisdom) wisdom.
San nin yoreba Monju no chie Meaning: Two heads are better than one.
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Encouragement and Support:
spkr 　七転び八起き　 Literal: seven falls, eight getting up.
Nana korobi, ya oki Meaning: an encouragement to keep going no matter how tough it is.

spkr 　猿も木から落ちる　 Literal: even monkees fall from trees.
Saru mo ki kara ochiru Meaning: even an expert can make mistakes; or a warning that "pride comes before a fall.

spkr 　河童も川流れ　 Literal: even a excellent swimmer can get carried away by the river.
Kappa mo kawa nagare Meaning: anyone can make mistakes.

spkr 　こうぼうも筆の誤り　 Literal: even Koubou (Buddhist priest famous for his calligraphy) made mistakes with his brush.
Koubou mo fude no ayamari Meaning: even experts can make mistakes; or (pride leads to a fall).

spkr 　急がば回れ　 Literal: If hurried, go around.
Isogaba maware Meaning: In a hurry it is often faster to take a roundabout route.

spkr 　雨降って地固まる　 Literal: rained on ground hardens.
Ame futte ji katamaru Meaning: adversity builds character.

spkr 　花より団子　 Literal: dumplings rather than flowers.
Hana yori dango Meaning: To have more interest in the practical than the aesthetic.

spkr 　　塵も積もれば山となる　 Literal: piled-up specks of dust become a mountain
Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru Meaning: Many small efforts combined bring great success. Little things add up.

spkr 　　石の上にも三年　 Literal: Sitting on a stone for three years.
Ishi no ue nimo sannen Meaning: One who endures wins in the end from perseverence is a virtue. If you sit on your cold rock for 3 years it eventually warm-up and you are more secure in your position.
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Good Luck and Bad Luck:
spkr 　泣き面に蜂　 Literal: a bee to a crying face.
Nakitsura ni hachi Meaning: misfortunes seldom come alone; when it rains, it pours.

spkr 　屁をひって尻窄め　 Literal: breaking wind, closing buttocks.
He wo hitte shiri tsubome Meaning: no use shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

spkr 　覆水盆に返らず　 Literal: overturned water doesn't return to the tray.
Fuku sui bon ni kaerazu Meaning: What's done is done; no use crying over spilt milk.

spkr 　落花枝に帰らず　 Literal: fallen blossom doesn't return to the branch.
Rakka eda ni kaerazu Meaning: what's done is done; do not cry over spilled milk.

spkr 　破鏡再び照らさず　 Literal: a broken mirror can not be made to shine.
Hakyou futatabi terasazu Meaning: what's done is done; do not cry over spilled milk.

spkr 　人間万事塞翁が馬　 Literal: humans everything Saiou horse.
Ningen banji saiou ga uma Meaning: All human affairs are like Saiou's horse; what at first appears to be good luck turns out to be bad luck and vise versa.
From a Chinese folk tale about an old man called Sai. One day his horse ran away. His neighbours commiserated with him over his misfortune, but Sai said "How do you know this is not really good luck?". A few days later the horse returned, bringing another horse with it. His neighbours congratulated him on his good luck, the old man said "How do you know this is really good luck?" Some while later Sai's son while riding the horse falls and breaks his leg. This was good fortune when all the men of the village are ordered to join the Emperor's army. Sai's son doesn't have to go since he has a broken leg.
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