Idioms
Japanese fixed expressions — yojijukugo (四字熟語), kanyōku (慣用句), and kotowaza (諺). Each entry shows the literal kanji reading next to the figurative meaning.
175 idioms
Tier 0 · most common (10)
一石を投じる
慣用句
to throw one stone
七転び八起き
慣用句
fall down seven times, get up eight
花より団子
慣用句
dumplings over flowers
油を売る
慣用句
to sell oil
顔が広い
慣用句
face is wide
手を貸す
慣用句
to lend out one's hand
鶴の一声
慣用句
the crane's single cry
猫に小判
慣用句
gold coins to a cat
足を洗う
慣用句
to wash one's feet
腹を割る
慣用句
to split open the belly
Tier 1 · common (165)
一から十まで
慣用句
from one to ten
一本やり
慣用句
a single spear
年がいもなく
慣用句
without even the worth of one's years
あごを出す
慣用句
to stick out one's chin
この時とばかり
慣用句
as if only this one moment
その時はその時
慣用句
that time is that time
一発かます
慣用句
to land one blow
人間ができている
慣用句
one's personhood is fully formed
ざまあ見ろ
慣用句
look at that sorry state
月とスッポン
慣用句
moon and soft-shell turtle
のれんを分ける
慣用句
to divide the shop curtain
後がつかえる
慣用句
the line behind is blocked
地が出る
慣用句
the true base comes out
カビが生える
慣用句
mold sprouts
うだつが上がらない
慣用句
the gable post does not rise
うだつの上がらない
慣用句
the gable post not rising
ハードルを上げる
慣用句
to raise the hurdle
手が出ない
慣用句
one's hand simply cannot come out
手が出る
慣用句
a hand suddenly comes flying out
手を出す
慣用句
to put one's own hand out
長い目で見る
慣用句
to look with a long eye
上手を行く
慣用句
to go along the upper hand
そりが合う
慣用句
the two sled runners fit together
そりが合わない
慣用句
the two sled runners do not fit
ウマが合う
慣用句
the horse fits well with another
手の内を見せる
慣用句
to show the inside of one's hand
一本取る
慣用句
to take away one long straight thing
間に立つ
慣用句
to stand in the space between
手が上がる
慣用句
a hand goes rising straight up
手の者
慣用句
a person belonging to the hand
ツケが回ってくる
慣用句
the tab comes rotating right back around
ツケが回る
慣用句
the tab goes revolving all around
ヤキが回る
慣用句
the roasting goes rotating all around
手を合わせる
慣用句
to press one's two hands flat together
新しいページをめくる
慣用句
to flip over a new page
下に出る
慣用句
to come out on the lower side
新しいページを開く
慣用句
to spread open a new page
首を長くする
慣用句
to stretch one's neck out long
目の上のこぶ
慣用句
a bump sitting right above the eye
くちばしを入れる
慣用句
to stick one's beak right in
スイッチが入る
慣用句
the switch enters right inside someone
メスを入れる
慣用句
to put a scalpel right inside
相場が決まっている
慣用句
the market rate is already fixed
選ぶところがない
慣用句
no place from which to choose exists
トップに立つ
慣用句
to stand right at the top
力こぶを入れる
慣用句
to put one's strength lump in
手がかかる
慣用句
the hand hangs heavily on everything
手がつけられない
慣用句
hands cannot be placed on it
手がない
慣用句
there are no hands
手につかない
慣用句
does not cling to the hand
手のかかる
慣用句
the kind that takes hands
手のつけられない
慣用句
on which hands cannot be placed
手のもの
慣用句
thing of the hand
実が入る
慣用句
the grain fills in
五本の指に入る
慣用句
enters among the five fingers
金の世の中
慣用句
the world of money
目くじらを立てる
慣用句
raise the corner of the eye
目くじら立てる
慣用句
raise the eye's corner
目に立つ
慣用句
stand in the eye
目を開く
慣用句
open the eyes
みにくいアヒルの子
慣用句
the ugly duck's child
首が回らない
慣用句
the neck cannot turn
目からウロコ
慣用句
scales from the eyes
目をつける
慣用句
put eyes on
山が見える
慣用句
the mountain can be seen
百人力
慣用句
the strength of a hundred people
九死に一生
慣用句
nine deaths, one life
五指に入る
慣用句
enters among the five fingers
目の正月
慣用句
the eye's New Year
同日の論ではない
慣用句
not the same day's argument
生を受ける
慣用句
receive life
ああ言えばこう言う
慣用句
if said that way, say this way
今日あって明日ない身
慣用句
a body here today, not tomorrow
一目も二目も置く
慣用句
place even one stone, even two
新しいページを加える
慣用句
add a new page
スポットが当たる
慣用句
a spotlight strikes
スポットを当てる
慣用句
aim a spotlight at
ヤマが当たる
慣用句
the mountain lands right on the mark
時を得る
慣用句
to obtain and hold one's own time
同日の談ではない
慣用句
not to be the same day's discussion
ぶら下がり
慣用句
hanging low and dangling about below
ハードルを下げる
慣用句
to bring the hurdle further down below
動きが取れない
慣用句
movement itself cannot be taken back
九死に一生を得る
慣用句
in nine deaths to obtain one life
首をもたげる
慣用句
to raise the neck and head aloft
同気相求む
慣用句
same spirit, mutually seek one another out
同気相求める
慣用句
same spirit, mutually seek one another out
関の山
慣用句
the mountain at the barrier gate
高みの見物
慣用句
watching the spectacle from a high place
ここに来て
慣用句
having now arrived and come right here
トサカに来る
慣用句
to come right up to the cockscomb
目に物見せる
慣用句
to show something right to the very eyes
家を外にする
慣用句
to make one's house into the outside
心を開く
慣用句
to open wide one's own heart
首を取る
慣用句
to reach out and take the head
山を当てる
慣用句
to hit the mountain on the mark
後ろ指を指す
慣用句
to point a finger from behind someone's back
気をもむ
慣用句
to knead and wring one's own spirit
あさっての方を向く
慣用句
to face the direction of the day after tomorrow
気は持ちよう
慣用句
the spirit is all in how you hold it
一目置く
慣用句
to lay down one stone in advance
心が通う
慣用句
the heart flows freely back and forth
心が通じる
慣用句
the heart passes through and connects fully
目が点になる
慣用句
the eyes shrink into tiny round dots
カラスの行水
慣用句
the crow's ritual bathing in water
つかえが取れる
慣用句
the stuck blockage is removed and gone
ミイラ取りがミイラになる
慣用句
the mummy catcher himself becomes a mummy
山をかける
慣用句
to bet everything on a mountain
手が利く
慣用句
the hand works and is highly effective
山と言えば川
慣用句
say mountain and one counters with river
元も子もない
慣用句
neither the principal nor the interest remains
水が合う
慣用句
the water suits and agrees with one
水が合わない
慣用句
the water does not suit or agree
道が開ける
慣用句
the road opens and a path clears
一を聞いて十を知る
慣用句
hear one thing and know all ten
証文の出し後れ
慣用句
a written proof document issued too late
あさっての方向を向く
慣用句
to face the direction of the day after tomorrow
手ぐすね引く
慣用句
to draw the bow with resin-readied hands
一日一歩
慣用句
one day, one step
手を打つ
慣用句
to strike the hands together with a clap
後が無い
慣用句
there is nothing remaining left behind one
目が死んでいる
慣用句
the eyes have died and gone dark
指をくわえる
慣用句
to hold one's own finger inside the mouth
指をさす
慣用句
to extend a pointing finger at someone
口から生まれる
慣用句
to be born from out of a mouth
元が取れる
慣用句
the original outlay can be taken back
心にかかる
慣用句
something hangs and weighs upon the heart
手を挙げる
慣用句
to raise one's hand up into the air
ウドの大木
慣用句
a great towering tree of udo plant
口から先に生まれる
慣用句
born with the mouth coming out first
引きが強い
慣用句
the power of one's draw is strong
海のものとも山のものともつかない
慣用句
cannot grasp whether sea thing or mountain thing
人を食う
慣用句
to eat up and devour a person
口が回る
慣用句
the mouth spins and turns around freely
年を食う
慣用句
to eat up and consume one's years
年食う
慣用句
eating and consuming the years away
引けを取らない
慣用句
not yielding a single step of retreat
引けを取る
慣用句
take the withdrawal
開いた口がふさがらない
慣用句
the opened mouth cannot close
見得を切る
慣用句
cut the pose of visible worth
二足のわらじ
慣用句
two pairs of straw sandals
足が出る
慣用句
a foot comes out
切れ上がる
慣用句
cuts and rises upward
百害あって一利なし
慣用句
a hundred harms, not one benefit
手が空く
慣用句
the hand becomes empty
台所事情
慣用句
the kitchen's circumstances
カードの切り方
慣用句
the way of cutting the card
足元を見る
慣用句
look at the ground at one's feet
身が入る
慣用句
the body enters in
身を入れる
慣用句
put the body in
手を変え品を変え
慣用句
changing the method, changing the goods
地に足がつく
慣用句
the feet attach to the ground
手の施しようがない
慣用句
no way to apply a hand's treatment
海の物とも山の物とも判らない
慣用句
cannot tell if sea thing or mountain thing
手が切れる
慣用句
the hand cuts clean through
手を切る
慣用句
cut the hand
目にも止まらぬ
慣用句
does not stop even to the eye
白い目で見る
慣用句
look with white eyes
白日の下にさらす
慣用句
expose under the white sun
一線を画する
慣用句
draw one dividing line
軍配が上がる
慣用句
the war fan rises
産声を上げる
慣用句
raise up the birth cry
さじ加減
慣用句
the spoon's adding and reducing
体が空く
慣用句
the body becomes empty
度が過ぎる
慣用句
the degree passes by too far