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Tag Archives: Japanese
Little, Big
針小棒大 shin.shou.bou.dai Literally: Needle small pole big Alternately: Something is as small as a needle, but described as a pole (as long as a person). Exaggeration. Making a mountain out of a mole-hill.
Not All Bad
Continuing last week’s oni theme: 渡る世間に鬼は無し (Wataru seken ni oni wa nashi; “Across the world, there are no demons.”) Definition: Nobody in the whole world is an oni – i.e. a purely malicious being. “There is kindness to be found … Continue reading
The Good Life
I asked my wife what yojijukugo she liked while flipping through a book of them. She said this one just as I was looking over the page it was on. That’s the six-fingered hand of Fate right there. * * … Continue reading
Strength to the Strong with a Stick
Another selection from the Iroha Karuta: I’ve found a site that has not just the Edo set, but the Kyoto and Osaka sets as well, so expect to see more of these as they catch my fancy. 鬼に金棒 (Oni ni … Continue reading
Now introducing Yojijukugo
When I’m looking for kotowaza to introduce, I often come across yojijukugo – four-character compounds that often serve similar functions. (In fact, there are a number of longer sayings that have been condensed to four-character phrases.) The tradition of using … Continue reading
Half- …hiding it
Continuing the theme of hiding from last week: 頭隠して尻隠さず (Atama kakushite shiri kakusazu; “Hiding the head, not hiding the butt.”) Definition: This saying refers to a situation where somebody has done something wrong, or has a flaw or failing of … Continue reading
Talons and Talents
This week’s kotowaza was recommended by a friend. If any of my readers have further suggestions or requests for specific sayings, please feel free to contact me! 能ある鷹は爪を隠す (Nou aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu; “The skilled hawk hides its … Continue reading
The Post that Sticks Out
出る杭は打たれる (Deru kui wa utareru; “The post that sticks out gets hammered down.”) Definition: It is best to keep one’s head down and not attract too much attention. Someone whose ability stands out will become the target of others’ … Continue reading
Walk, don’t run, said the tortoise to the hare
Given that my wife gave birth to a healthy boy four days ago, it might seem a little surprising that I’m able to post this. The secret, in this case, is that the post was essentially completely written a week … Continue reading
Buddha dunno
I said earlier that I wasn’t interested in presenting English sayings that had been translated into Japanese. This one falls close to that category, but sufficiently distinct that I feel it’s worth talking about. 知らぬが仏 (Shiranu ga Hotoke; “Unknowing is … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged "ignorance is bliss", Buddha, 知らぬが仏, Japanese, kotowaza, unknowing
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