負うた子に教えられて浅瀬を渡る (Outakoni Oshierarete Asase wo Wataru), also a fool may give a wise man counsel
馬鹿は死ななきゃ治らない (Baka wa shinanakya naoranai), sometimes stupidity will stay all over the lifetime
馬鹿につける薬はない (ばかにつけりくすりはない), There is no cure for stupidity.
盗人にも三分の理 Even thieves have their reasons, three in 10 thieves have their reason
五月雨式に申し訳ございません。Sorry, this is dragging on and on.. (It's pesky like the rain in May/5th month)
地獄の釜の蓋も開く- In Buddhism, there is hell, and bad guys are boiled in a kettle. Just on new years and August 16th, the lid is opened and even the evil guys get a day off: to visit the ancestors graves.
link
下駄を履かせる (Geta wo hakaseru), to lift someones shoes, so give the person benefit over others.
口さみしい (Kuchi samishi), to eat because one is bored (literal translation: the mouth feels alone)
一石二鳥 (Iseki nicyou), killing 2 birds with one stone. 例文:同僚とランチに出かけるのは一石二鳥です。
夜目遠目笠の内, seeing someone unclear from the far, imagination renders the opposite as pretty person
頭かくして尻かくさず, hiding the head but leaving the but uncovered: trying to cover up something, but forgetting a piece
蛙の子は蛙, a frogs children are frogs
鬼に金棒, literally: giving an ogre a stick, meaning: making something strong even stronger
気違いに刃物
見てわからん者は聞いてもわからん
百聞は一見にしかず
井の中の蛙大海を知らず, literally: the frog in the well does not know the ocean
犬が西向きゃ尾は東, literally: when the dog looks towards west, the tail faces east
清濁併せ呑む (せいだくあわせのむ)
literally: taking both the good and the bad
meaning: accepting people as they are, the good and the bad parts
寄らば大樹の陰 (よらばたいじゅのかげ)
釈迦に説法(しゃかにせっぽう)
憎まれっ子世にはばかる(にくまれっこよにはばかる)
literally: behated children are everywhere in the world
meaning: Unkraut vergeht nicht, schlechten Menschen geht es immer gut
出る杭は打たれる(でるくいはうたれる)
-
literally: to put out the kettle into the moonlight
meaning: to make a big mistake. Putting out the kettle when there is moonlight, chances are high to get it stolen.
桜切る馬鹿、梅切らぬ馬鹿(さくらきるばか、うめきらぬばか)
literally: people cutting down sakura trees are stupid, and the ones not cutting plum trees are stupid
meaning: one should know what to do at the right time?
金魚の糞(きんぎょうのふん)or 金魚のうんこ(きんぎょうのうんこ)
literally: the poop of goldfish
meaning: yes-man, someone who is constantly following someone, a copycat, a flatterer
医者の不養生
紺屋の白袴
坊主の不信心、餅屋餅食わず
二階から目薬
literally: applying an eye medicine from the second floor of a building
describing a frustrating task, or an action not showing any impact
歯に衣着せぬ
足を洗う