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Tag Archives: Chinese Antiquity
Weighed in the balance and found offering
論功行賞ron.kou.kou.shou Literally: discourse – achievement – conduct – reward Alternately: Awarding honors, prizes, or praise based on someone’s work and achievements. The meritocratic ideal. Notes: This phrase comes to us from the “Book of Wei” in the Records of the … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged キングダム, Chinese Antiquity, earned, 行賞, 論功, 魏志, justice, meritocracy, Records of the Three Kingdoms, 三国志, 三國志
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All in one basket, no less
累卵の危うき(Ruiran no ayauki;“The peril of a pile of eggs”) Definition: An especially unstable and dangerous situation. Potential downfall and ruin. Breakdown: We begin with the compound noun 累卵 (ruiran), literally a “pile of eggs.” This is joined by the associative … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged Chinese Antiquity, 累卵, danger, 范雎, fragile eggs, instability, Records of the Grand Historian, Shiji, 危うき, 史記, 史记
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Mooning over those who are absent
風月玄度fuu.getsu.gen.taku Literally: wind – moon – (mysterious) – (degree) Alternately: Thinking of someone you haven’t seen in a long time; missing a good friend due to long separation. By extension, thinking about or even mourning the death of someone exceptional. … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged beauty of nature, Chinese Antiquity, 玄度, 風月, missing the absent, poetic melancholy, 劉焉, 世説新語
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A shot, but not in the dark
Completely ignoring the phantom dog (Today I got my second covid vaccine! “Injection” in Japanese is 注射, chuusha, so please enjoy this four-character compound containing 射.) 射石飲羽sha.seki.in.u Literally: shoot – stone – drink – feather Alternately: If you throw yourself … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged all one's might, archery, Chinese Antiquity, 熊渠子, dedication, 韓詩外傳, 韩诗外传, 飲羽, Han shi waizhuan, intense focus, tiger, 射石, 一念
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Seven is just the beginning!
子子孫孫shi.shi.son.son Literally: child – child – grandchild – grandchild Alternately: One’s children and grandchildren; one’s descendants; posterity; until the end of history. Notes: Each repeated character may be written with the repetition mark 々; the second 孫 (in either form) … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Book of Documents, Chinese Antiquity, descendants, generations, to the last syllable of recorded time, 子々, 子子, 孫々, 孫孫, 書経, 書經, 书经
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A lance where your chin should be
枕戈待旦 chin.ka.tai.tan Literally: pillow – “spear”* – wait – sunrise Alternately: Always ready to give battle. Never dropping your guard or slacking off from necessary preparations. “Sleeping with a weapon as your pillow, awaiting the break of dawn.” Notes: This … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged battle-ready, be prepared, Book of Jin, Chinese Antiquity, unusual pillows, 待旦, 晉書, 晋書, 晋书, 枕戈
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Soldiers are for war, not for peaceful protests
(Another saying that features 焉. Next week we’ll have something different, I promise.) 鶏を割くに焉んぞ牛刀を用いん (Niwatori wo saku ni izukunzo gyuutou wo mochiin; “Why use a cow-cleaver to cut up a chicken?”) Definition: There’s no need to use powerful tools, or … Continue reading
Ambition is for the birds
燕雀安くんぞ鴻鵠の志を知らんや (Enjaku izukunzo koukoku no kokorozashi wo shiran ya; “How could the swallow or sparrow understand the goose or swan?”) Definition: People of lowly character or small ability don’t, and can’t, understand the thought processes and ambitions of those with … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged birds, Chinese Antiquity, classical Japanese grammar, 燕雀, 鴻鵠, large small, Records of the Grand Historian, understanding, 史記, 史记, 安くんぞ
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