Besides use in names and Buddhist terms, you may find it easier to remember 阿 is read as あ from the word 阿呆 (あほ), although it’s commonly written in kana as well.
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ことわざ of the week 
This week’s ことわざ is :
飛んで火に入る夏の虫
とんでひにいるなつのむし
Translation:
Summer insects that fly into fire.
Meaning:
To throw oneself into trouble
Context:
When summer comes, one of the things you will start to see are insects flying around lamps or street lights. This ことわざ originates from a book called Book of Liang, which was written during the Northern and Southern dynasty period. During this period, fire was used to create light and people noticed that there were moths that were attracted to the light and flew into it.
Originally, the ことわざ 飛蛾の火に赴くがごとくwas used with a positive nuance. It was a phrase that was used to urge people to study with all they got. Then in the 13th century, a different book used this phrase with a negative nuance to refer to foolish people acting on instincts.
Later in history, during the Edo period, the wording was changed to 飛んで火に入る夏の虫, with the nuance from the book from the 13th century.
When is it used?
Since this is a phrase that describes people throwing themselves into a dangerous situation that could have a negative result, people often use it to tell people that what they are about to do is reckless and that they should reconsider.
Example:
お前は泳げないのに一人でサーフィンに挑戦するなんて危険すぎる。飛んで火に入る夏の虫だよ。
It’s way too dangerous for you to try surfing on your own when you can’t even swim. You’ll be like a moth flying into a flame.
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Have you done this idiom that I was taught the other day yet?
猫の手も借りたい
仕事は最近、猫の手も借りたいほど忙しい
Recently I’m so busy at work that I’d even take help from a cat
Just wondered what the origin is. Such a fun mental image.
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四字熟語 of the week
五里霧中
ごりむちゅう
Meaning:
To be unable to make a decision and to feel unsure of what to do.
Context:
This 四字熟語 comes from a book called the Book of the Later Han. In this book there is a story about a Confucius scholar who used Taoist magic to create a thick fog across 5 里 (里 is a traditional Chinese unit of distance which is about 500 meters) to fend off people who kept visiting to recruit him as a government official.
When this magic was casted, it confused the people who came to visit him because the fog was so dense, which made them lose their sense of direction.
When is it used?
This 四字熟語 is used to describe that you have no idea what is going on and/or that you have no idea what you should do in the current situation that you are in.
Example:
マニュアルに書かれていないことが発生し、先輩も忙しかったので五里霧中のまま電話対応をした。
Something happened that wasn’t covered in the manual, and since my senpai was busy, I had to handle the phone call while completely in the dark.
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ことわざ of the week
This week’s ことわざ is :
清水の舞台から飛び降りる
きよみずのぶたいからとびおりる
Translation:
To jump off the platform of Kiyomizu
Meaning:
To take a leap of faith
Context:
There is a temple in Kyoto called the Kiyomizu temple. This temple has a platform that hangs over a cliff, which was not only constructed to enjoy the view, but also as a stage for performance, such as kabuki.
This ことわざ comes from the practice of jumping off the platform during the Edo period. Some believed that if one prayed at the temple and jumped off the platform, they would survive and their wishes would come true.
When is it used?
Today it’s simply used as a metaphor for making a big decision after careful consideration.
Example:
清水の舞台から飛び降りるつもりで、お金をためて家を買った。
Determined to take a leap of faith, I saved up my money and bought a house.
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四字熟語 of the week
一致団結
いっちだんけつ
Meaning:
To unite as one. To band together and work as a team in order to achieve a goal.
Context:
This 四字熟語 originates from a passage in the Huainanzi, which was translated into Japanese as 五指のこもごも弾くは捲手の一挃に若かず, and carries the nuance of ‘no matter how strong each finger is, a fist is stronger’. Although neither passage contains the exact kanji used in 一致団結, it is said that the words 一致 ‘uniting as one’ and 団結 ‘to work together’ were combined to convey the idea that coming together as one is more powerful than acting individually when it comes to achieving victory.
When is it used?
This 四字熟語 is used when teamwork is necessary to complete a task or to achieve a shared goal.
Example:
そろそろ一致団結して試合に挑まないと、この大会で優勝することはできない。
If we don’t start pulling together and giving it our all in the games, we won’t be able to win this tournament.
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ことわざ of the week
This week’s ことわざ is :
会うは別れの始め
あうはわかれのはじめ
Translation:
A meeting is the beginning of a parting
Meaning:
To meet is to part
Context:
This ことわざ comes from a Buddhist teaching that states that nothing in this world is permanent since the world is constantly changing.
Although this ことわざ sounds a bit pessimistic, this was taught to remind people that because parting is inevitable, you should cherish the time you have with a person.
When is it used?
This is often used when parting with anyone who is important to the speaker to comfort themselves or the listener, and to remind both parties that no matter the circumstance, the parting was inevitable from the time they met.
Example:
幼馴染が引っ越すことを聞いた時に、会うは別れの始めということわざが心に浮かんだ。
When I heard that my childhood friend was moving away, the proverb “A meeting is the beginning of a parting” came to mind.
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四字熟語 of the week
臨機応変
りんきおうへん
Meaning:
To take the appropriate action for a situation
Context:
It is said that this 四字熟語 comes from a quote in historical text called the History of the Southern Dynasties, which depicted China’s Northern and Southern Dynasties.
In this text, a commander-in-chief of the Liang Dynasty was cornered by the enemy and at this point, he showed no signs of taking the next step and stayed motionless. When he saw that his generals were concerned, he told them, ‘I can handle the situation myself as it unfolds, so please do not say anything unnecessary’.
It is said that 臨機応変 derives from this quote.
When is it used?
This 四字熟語 is used to describe that an unexpected action was taken to adapt to the situation.
Example:
今日は彼女と遊園地に行くつもりだったが、天気予報が外れて雨が降ってきたので、予定を臨機応変に対応して映画館に行くことにした。
I had planned to go to an amusement park with my girlfriend today, but the weather forecast was wrong and it started raining, so we went with the flow and changed our plans to go see a movie instead.
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ことわざ of the week
This week’s ことわざ is:
急がば回れ
いそがばまわれ
Meaning:
If you’re in a hurry, take the safer, slower route.
Context:
Unlike the other ことわざ we have looked at previously, this one actually comes from Japan. It is said to come from a poem attributed to 宗長 during the Muromachi period.
The poem describes how travelers on the Tokaido preferred to cross Lake Biwa via boat to get from Kusatsu to Otsu because it was a shortcut. However, the crossing was considered very dangerous because of the sudden gusts of wind that blew down from Mount Hiei.
The poet’s point was that going around the lake takes longer, but it avoids the risk of sudden weather and gets you there safely.
When is it used?
This ことわざ can be used in any situation where someone wants to remind others, or themselves, that it is important to take a step back and consider what other options they have, especially when feeling flustered.
Example:
車で帰ろうとしたが、雪で危険だったため、急がば回れと言うし電車で帰ることにした。
I was going to drive home, but the snow made it dangerous, so I took the train instead. Better safe than sorry.
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有言実行
ゆうげんじっこう
Meaning:
Doing what you say you’ll do.
Context:
This 四字熟語 is said that it was formed as a counterpart to the 四字熟語 不言実行 which means ‘do what needs to be done without complaining or making excuses’. It is said that 不言実行 comes from a Chinese classic called The Analects of Confucius.
In this text, Confucius explained that a ‘gentleman’ or a ‘man of virtue’ is someone who first puts into practice what he intends to say, and only speaks about it after he acts upon it.
When is it used?
This 四字熟語 is used when someone completes their goals or promises they’ve made, or to emphasize that the speaker will do what they said they will do. It is also used to describe people that follow through with what they said.
Example:
先生には「次のテストでは100点を取る」と言ったから、有言実行できるように頑張らないと。
I told my teacher, ‘I’m going to get a perfect score on the next test,’ so I have to work hard to keep my word.
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ことわざ of the week
This week’s ことわざ is:
石に立つ矢
いしにたつや
Translation:
An arrow that stands on a rock
Meaning:
If you put your heart into it, anything is possible.
Context:
This is another ことわざ that originates from the Grand Scribe’s Records. In this text, there is a story where Li Guang was out hunting, and mistook a rock for a tiger. He took a shot at the ‘tiger’ with his bow, and his arrow sunk into it, but after closer examination, he found out that it was just a rock. After finding this out, he tried shooting the rock countless times, but no matter how much he tried, he could not get his arrow into the rock.
In this story, Li Guang was able to pierce the rock not just because he was an exceptional archer, but because he believed that he was shooting a tiger, meaning that all his focus was on that single shot to kill the tiger.
When is it used?
This ことわざ is used to express that anything can be possible if you put your heart into it.
Example:
どんなにうまくいかなくても、諦めずに練習を続けた後輩の努力に、石に立つ矢の精神を感じた。
No matter how badly things went, I sensed the spirit of ‘an arrow standing on a stone’ in the efforts of my kouhai, who kept practicing without giving up.
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