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languages:japanese:proverbs
  • 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
    • literally: giving a twisted mind a sharp tool
    • meaning: giving a dangerous person a tool makes them even more dangerous
  • 見てわからん者は聞いてもわからん
    • literally: if you could not understand it from watching, then you would also not understand an explanation
  • 百聞は一見にしかず
    • literally: seeing it one time is better than hearing it 100 times
  • 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)
    • literally: living in the shadow of a big tree
    • meaning: serving someone can be to the benefit of both parties
  • 釈迦に説法(しゃかにせっぽう)
    • literally: preaching to Buddha
    • meaning: telling someone something, which he knows more about
  • 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: the sticking out nail will be hammered down
    • people who are different will be brought in line with the majority
  • 月夜に釜を抜かれる(つきよにかまをぬかれる)source
    • 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
    • literally: the shoemakers children go barfoot
    • meaning: specialists often do not apply their advise to themself
  • 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
    • literally: not wearing clothes on ones teeth
    • meaning: to speak frankly/open
  • 足を洗う
    • literally: to wash ones feet
    • meaning: to change lifestyle or quit something
languages/japanese/proverbs.txt · Last modified: 2024/01/27 11:29 by chris