Category Archives: Yojijukugo

How many grets before they start repeating?

千恨万悔 sen.kon.ban.kai Literally: thousand – regret / resentment – ten thousand – regret / repentance Alternately: Overwhelming feelings of regret about the past. Notes: Some versions may not use 万, but rather the archaic form of the same character, 萬. … Continue reading

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Like, the opposite of Solla Sollew

多事多難 ta.ji.ta.nan Literally: many – thing – many – difficult Alternately: A pile-up of events, especially problematic ones, and especially ones that are difficult to resolve. Unending troubles. More euphemistically, having a lot going on in one’s life.

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Odds and tips

枝葉末節 shi.you.ma-.ssetsu Literally: branch – leaf – tip – node/joint Alternately: Peripheral, relatively inconsequential things. The leaves and branches of a matter, rather than the trunk. Notes: Some versions may replace 節 with 端 (tan, “edge”).

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Your yore on my mind

旧態依然 kyuu.tai.i.zen Literally: olden times – condition – depend on – “sort of thing” Alternately: Something remains as it was, without any development or progress. Unchanged… or even if it did change, not improved in any way as a result. … Continue reading

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Fight fiercely, Harvard

(“Lehrer” means “teacher”) 力戦奮闘 riki.sen.fun.tou Literally: power – battle – invigorated – fight Alternately: Fighting as hard as you can. By extension, working as hard as you can. Strenuous effort.

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A gathering of silver threads

The Little Mermaid II 百川帰海 hyaku.sen.ki.kai Literally: hundred – river – return (home) – ocean Alternately: Things that were scattered or disparate coming together, like how rivers and streams start here and there but all end up in the sea. … Continue reading

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Shouldn’t grow on you

短慮軽率 tan.ryo.kei.sotsu Literally: short – consider – light – proportion Alternately: Deciding things without considering the consequences or results. Impulsive; unthinking. Rash. Notes: This four-character compound comprises compound adjectival nouns 短慮, “imprudence,” “quick temper,” and 軽率, “hasty,” “rash.” The order … Continue reading

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The playground of Tengu!

天上天下 ten.jou.ten.ge Literally: heavens – up – heavens – down Alternately: The world above the sky (the heavens) and the world below the sky (the earth). Also, the space between heaven and earth. The whole world. Notes: Reading 下 as … Continue reading

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Written on the 4th of July

(I searched for phrases using 独 because of the 独立記念日.) 唯我独尊 yui.ga.doku.son Literally: only – self – alone – precious Alternately: Thinking that oneself is the best in the world. Being so self-assured that you don’t listen to anyone else. … Continue reading

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Reverse the order for Biblical time

Something birds, something stones? 一朝一夕 i-.cchou.i-.sseki Literally: one – morning – one – evening Alternately: A single day. By extension, a brief and fleeting span of time. Often used in a negative structure to express that something can’t be done … Continue reading

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