ことわざ・四字熟語 of the Week

[Fuga]

ことわざ of the week

This week’s ことわざ is :

頭隠して尻隠さず
あたまかくしてしりかくさず

Translation:

To hide your head, but not your tail.

Meaning:

To try to hide one aspect of a flaw, while leaving every other aspect exposed.

Similar to the English phrase, ‘burying your head in the sand’.

Context:

It is said that this ことわざ comes from another ことわざ ‘雉の草隠れ’, which describes how a pheasant may hide its head in the grass but cannot conceal its long tail.

Both 頭隠して尻隠さず and 雉の草隠れ are used with the same nuance, but it is more common to hear 頭隠して尻隠さず in conversations.

When is it used?

This ことわざ is used to describe a person who is hiding something, but it is obvious that they are hiding something since there are other obvious facts in plain site that contradicts what they are saying.

Example:

彼は僕のケーキを食べていないと言い張っているが頭隠して尻隠さずで、口にクリームがついたままだ。

He claims that he did not eat my cake, but he can’t cover up the truth since he still has some cream on his lips.

[Fuga]

四字熟語 of the week

半信半疑
はんしんはんぎ

Meaning:

Describes the state where a person believes something, but at the same time has the same amount of doubt.

Context:

The origin of this 四字熟語 is from a passage written during the Three Kingdoms period. This passage was written to criticize people who used fortune telling to predict good or bad fortune, but would only believe it half-heartedly.

When is it used?

This 四字熟語 is used whenever someone is doubtful about something, and can be heard quite frequently in daily conversations.

Although this is translated as ‘doubtful’ or ‘skeptical’, 半信半疑 is used when the person’s doubts are equal to the amount they believe in something

Example:

友達に勧められたアニメを半信半疑で見たが、とても面白かった。

While I was doubtful about the anime my friend suggested, it was very interesting.

[Fuga]

ことわざ of the week

This week’s ことわざ is :

雨降って地固まる
あめふってじかたまる

Translation:
When it rains, the soil gets packed.

Meaning:
Hardships can actually help achieve better results or strengthen a relationship.

Context:

This ことわざ explains how the ground softens during rain, but once it clears, the ground settles firmer than before. This is used to simply state that temporary disruption creates lasting stability.

Rain is often seen as a negative thing, but it does result in many good things including solidifying the foundation.

When is it used?
This ことわざ is used to describe how a bad situation could unexpectedly lead to a positive event, or that a bad situation can be used to solidify a situation or a relationship.

Although this emphasizes on a negative event, because the main focus is on the positive result that it brings, it is often heard in wedding speeches.

Example:

あいつら会うたびに喧嘩してたくせに結婚するほど仲が良くなるなんて、まさに雨降って地固まるだね。

Even though they used to fight every time they saw each other, the fact that they’ve become close enough to get married really proves that adversity brings people closer together.

[Fuga]

四字熟語 of the week

四六時中
しろくじちゅう

Meaning:
All day, every day, constantly, 24/7.

Context:
You might be wondering why 4 and 6 are used in this 四字熟語. The reason for this is because 4 times 6 is 24, and that is the number of hours in a day.

The reason that this format is used instead of 二十四時中 is because this 四字熟語 actually was originally 二六時中. Up until 1872, Japan divided the day into 12 sections rather than 24 hours, where day time had 6 sections and night had 6 sections.

After the solar calendar was introduced to Japan, the 四字熟語 二六時中 was changed to 四六時中 to match the solar calendar.

When is it used?
This is used when the speaker wants to indicate that something is being done constantly or that something has been happening over the course of several days.

Example:

彼は四六時中勉強をしている。

He is studying constantly.

[Fuga]

ことわざ of the week

This week’s ことわざ is :

触らぬ神に祟りなし
さわらぬかみにたたりなし

Translation:

If you leave a spirit undisturbed, it will not curse you.

Meaning:

If you know it will cause problems, it’s wiser not to get involved. Similar to the English phrase, ‘Don’t stir up a hornet’s nest’.

Context:

In this ことわざ, 神 does not refer to ‘gods’, but spirits. This originated from the Shinto belief where, when a person dies harboring deep grievance or meets an unfortunate death, they become a 祟り神 to bring misfortune to the living world.

When this belief was widely accepted, people were told not to get involved with these kinds of spirits, because they will only bring misfortune.

When is it used?

This is used when someone wants to avoid getting involved in something (or with someone) because they know that getting involved will only make life harder.

Example:

家の前でお隣さんが誰かともめてたから、仲介に入ろうとしたら、妻に「触らぬ神に祟りなしだよ」って言われた。

My neighbor was having an argument with someone in front of our house, so I tried to step in to calm things down, but my wife said “Don’t get involved in that”.

[Fuga]

四字熟語 of the week

正正堂堂
せいせいどうどう

Usually written as 正々堂々.

Meaning:
Fair and square.

Context:
This 四字熟語 is actually a combination of two phrases from Chinese literature, 正正の旗 (a military flag that is being displayed in a neat and orderly manner) and 堂堂の陣 (a magnificent formation that exudes dignity and expands with great momentum). The original text advised against attacking an enemy whose flags were orderly and formations were impressive, as victory would be unlikely.

Originally 正々堂々 was used to refer to military magnificence, but when this reached Japan, the meaning changed to ‘to tackle things head on with dignity, without resorting to unfair tactics’.

When is it used?
This is used when the speaker wants to emphasize that something was done/will be done fair and square.

Example:

周りの人たちの意見を気にせずに、正々堂々と自分の意見を言えるようになりたい。

I want to be able to voice my opinions boldly, without worrying about what others think

[Fuga]

ことわざ of the week

This week’s ことわざ is :

あら探しをする
あらさがしをする

Translation:

To look for fish scraps.

Meaning:

To be nitpicky

Context:

This ことわざ actually originates from Japanese fish cooking culture. When fish are filleted, the heads and bones, called あら骨 in Japanese, are rarely wasted in Japanese cooking culture. They’re commonly used to make soup or broth, and any remaining meat is eaten to avoid waste. Because あら骨 represents the least useful part of a fish, the word was abbreviated to あら and came to mean a flaw or useless quality in a person.

Since a person desperately picking meat off bones is scraping for something barely there, あら探しをする describes someone who goes out of their way to find faults in others.

When is it used?

This ことわざ is simply used to refer to someone being unnecessarily nitpicky.

Example:

あいつは私がどんだけ頑張って料理しても、わざわざあら探しするから最近はコンビニ弁当をさらに盛り付けるようにしている。

No matter how much effort I put into cooking, he always finds something to criticize, so recently I’ve just been plating convenience store bento and serving that instead.

Caution

This expression carries a negative nuance. It cannot be used to describe someone who is simply detail-oriented or thorough.

[Fuga]

四字熟語 of the week

三日坊主
みっかぼうず

Meaning:
Someone who gives up or loses interest easily.

Context:
Originally, this phrase described a monk in training who returned home in just a few days after leaving home to become a monk. Becoming a monk requires serious commitment, and the training period is usually long and grueling. Even those who entered with genuine enthusiasm sometimes found themselves longing for their old life after just a few days.

When is it used?
This is used to describe motivated people that try out new things, but have the tendency of not being able to continue to achieve their new goal. Although 三日 is used in this 四字熟語, this just represents a short period of time, not necessarily 3 days.

Example:

日記を始めようとして日記帳を買ってみたものの、三日坊主になり、一年たった今でも、まだ３ページしか使っていない。

I bought a diary with the intention of starting one, but I lost interest after just a few days, and even now, a year later, I’ve only filled three pages.

[Fuga]

ことわざ of the week

This week’s ことわざ is :

鬼に金棒
おににかなぼう

Translation:

Like giving a metal club to an oni.

Meaning:

To make a strong person or thing even stronger.

Similar to ‘adding wings to a tiger’ in English.

Context:

鬼 is a yokai that appears a lot in Japanese folklore and is taught as something to be feared due to their size and strength.

When these already strong creatures are armed with a metal club, they become even stronger.

When is it used?

This ことわざ is used to describe situations where someone who is already strong (not limited to physical strength), gains some sort of advantage to make them even stronger, making them unstoppable.

Example:

コミュニケーション能力が高いだけでなく、四ヶ国語話せるなんて、まさに鬼に金棒だよ。

Not only do you have great communication skills, but being able to speak four languages is like adding wings to a tiger.

[Fuga]

四字熟語 of the week

十人十色
じゅうにんといろ

Meaning:
Everyone is different. Everyone has their own opinions/values.

Context:
This 四字熟語 is relatively new, and although the exact origin of this word is not known, it is thought that this became widely used during the Meiji era. However, the concept acknowledging that different people have different opinions and values was a thing that started to spread during the Edo period.

It is thought by some that this 四字熟語 uses 十 because in Buddhism, 10 is a symbolic number that encompasses the entire world.

Although 色 is usually translated as color, it is a word that can be used to describe emotions, personality, and mindset.

When is it used?
This is used to express that everyone has their own values and beliefs.

Example:

どっちの方が美味しいって聞かれても、味の好みは十人十色だから、俺が美味しいと思っても、さくらちゃんの好みに合うとは限らない。

Even if you ask me which one tastes better, everyone has their own taste, so just because I think it’s delicious doesn’t mean it’ll be to your liking.

[Fuga]

ことわざ of the week

This week’s ことわざ is :

類は友を呼ぶ
るいはともをよぶ

Translation:

Someone from a specific group attracts friends.

Meaning:

Like attracts like or great minds think alike.

Context:

This ことわざ is a modified/simplified version of a quote from a ancient Chinese text called『易経』or I Ching (in English). The original quote from this book was ‘方は類を以て集まり、物は群を以て分かたる’ which roughly translates to ‘People gather in groups of their own kind, and things are divided into groups’. Throughout history, this ことわざ went through different variations such as 類は友を以て集まる, 類は友を集める, 類を以て友を引く, etc., and the one that stuck was 類は友を呼ぶ. Since this wording is not found in any text from the Edo period, it is considered that this ことわざ with this wording started to spread during either the Meiji era or the Showa era.

When is it used?

This ことわざ refers to how people with similar interests, personalities, goals, or values naturally come together to form a group.

This ことわざ can be used in both positive and negative nuances.

Example:

タケルくんの友達は車好きばかりなのをみて、類は友を呼ぶと感じた。

Seeing that all of Takeru’s friends were car enthusiasts, I felt that birds of a feather flock together.

Fun-Fact

This is sometimes abbreviated as 類友 online or in real life to describe friends with the same interests.

[bunnypro]

Everyone who visits this thread and my associated ことわざ deck must really like Japanese phrases … 類友!

[Fuga]

四字熟語 of the week

抱腹絶倒
ほうふくぜっとう

Meaning:
Laughing one’s head off

Context:
This 四字熟語 is said to originate from an ancient text called the The Grand Scribe’s Records. In this text, the character 捧 was used instead of 抱 in 捧腹, to indicate that the person was laughing while holding their stomach. 絶倒 means to laugh a lot, meaning that the more literal translation of this 四字熟語 is ‘to laugh to the point where one must hold their stomach’.

Originally, 捧腹絶倒 was used in a context where someone was hysterically laughing, not because something funny had been said, but because someone asked them such an immature question that they could not help but to laugh at their stupidity.

When is it used?
Despite the original context, in modern Japanese, it is simply used to describe someone laughing to the point that they are rolling on the floor laughing.

Example:

あの俳優が出演している映画は、抱腹絶倒間違いなしだ。

Any movie starring that actor is sure to have you rolling on the floor laughing.

[Fuga]

ことわざ of the week

This week’s ことわざ is :

石橋を叩いて渡る
いしばしをたたいてわたる

Translation:

To cross a bridge made of stone after making sure it’s safe.

Meaning:

To approach something with extreme caution.

Context:

This ことわざ comes from the habit of tapping bridges to check its sturdiness. Up until the Edo period, bridges in Japan were made of wood. During this time, people had the habit of hitting the bridges they were about to cross to make sure that the bridge was sturdy enough to cross. Even after stone bridges became popular in Japan, people kept hitting bridges to check for its sturdiness out of habit.

This act of people checking the bridges before crossing instead of assuming it is safe and sturdy just because it was made of stone became a symbol of wisdom.

When is it used?

This ことわざ is used to describe a cautious person.

This could be used with a negative and a positive nuance.

When used positively, it describes a person that is very detail oriented who does not make quick decisions based on feelings.

When used negatively, it describes a person that is overly cautious to the point that they seem cowardly or lacks initiative.

Example:

タケルくんは石橋を叩いて渡るタイプの人だから、衝動買いなするはずがない。

Takeru is the type of person who checks everything thoroughly before acting, so there’s no way he’d purchase something impulsively.

[Fuga]

四字熟語 of the week

罵詈雑言
ばりぞうごん

Meaning:
To hurl insults using vulgar language

Context:
This is another 四字熟語 that originates from the The Grand Scribe’s Records. In this text, there was a passage called the Biography of Wei Bao where Wei Bao is advised to serve under Liu Bang, but he refused the offer because Liu Bang treated his subordinates and officials as if they were slaves.

罵詈 carries the meaning of speaking harshly to criticize someone and 雑言 is used to refer to an assortment of abusive remarks or baseless accusations.

When is it used?
This 四字熟語 is often used to describe someone losing their temper and hurling abuse.

Example:

昨日うちのスタッフに罵詈雑言を浴びせた客を出禁にした。

Yesterday, we banned a customer who hurled insults at our staff.

[Fuga]

ことわざ of the week

This week’s ことわざ is :

朝日が西から昇る
あさひがにしからのぼる

Translation:

For the sun to rise from the west.

Meaning:
For something to be impossible.

Context:

The sun only rises from the east. It is scientifically impossible for the sun to rise from the west.

The exact origin of this phrase is unknown.

When is it used?

This ことわざ is similar to the English phrase ‘not in a million years’, and used to express that something is impossible.

Example:

朝日が西から昇るようなら、お前を仲間に入れてもいい。

If the sun rises in the west, I might let you join us.

[Fuga]

ことわざ of the week

This week’s ことわざ is :

元の木阿弥
もとのもくあみ

Meaning:
For a situation that had improved temporarily to return to its original state. Back to square one.

Context:

The exact origin of this ことわざ is unknown, but the widely accepted theory is from an event that occurred during the Sengoku period.

In this theory, a daimyo named Tsutsui Junsho (who had an illness) left a will instructing that a stand-in named 木阿弥 to be hired to conceal his death until his successor came of age.

After the daimyo’s death was announced, 木阿弥’s role came to an end, and after years of living a life of luxury, he was relieved of his duties and returned to his former life as a monk.

When is it used?
This ことわざ is used to describe that a situation has improved, but went back to its original state or to describe that despite a lot of hard work and effort, in the end, it was meaningless and that it ended up being a waste of time.

Example:

一度は企画が通りかけたのに、会社理念と合わないと言う理由で反対されて、結局元の木阿弥になりました。

The proposal was basically approved at one point, but it was rejected on the grounds that it didn’t align with the company’s philosophy, so in the end, we were back to square one.

[roserose]

The time put in years ago to recognize obsolete phonetic kanji allows reading 阿弥 at a glance. It is the same kanji that we use in 阿弥陀佛, Amida Buddha.

There is no useless study. (somewhere there is a list of the kanji that were used phonetically before the advent of hiragana and katakana. I can never find it when I need it…)

[homa]

And I read it as かしょう www
Because all the か

And I only know this one 称

[Fuga]

四字熟語 of the week

温故知新
おんこちしん

Meaning:
To learn something new from old teachings

Context:
This 四字熟語 originates from a book that records the words, actions and dialogues of Confucius and his disciples.

This was originally written to state that to become a teacher who can instruct others, one must learn and use the old teachings as a foundation to be able to develop new interpretations.

温故知新 comes from a phrase that was translated into Japanese as 「故きを温ねて新しきを知る」, which translates to ‘By reflecting on the past, we gain insight into the future.’

When is it used?
This 四字熟語 is often used as a motto for schools and companies to remind people that it is important to look back at the past to learn from it to develop new knowledge and strategies.
Example:

昔の日記を読んでみると、忘れていた目標を思い出した。それが温故知新のきっかけとなり、新しい目標を見つけた。

When I read through my old diary, I remembered a goal I had forgotten. That served as a catalyst for ‘learning from the past to gain new insights’, and I discovered a new goal.