Japanese Proverbs & Idioms

Nou aru taka wa tsume o kakusu
(A talented hawk hides its talons.)
A wise person keeps some talents in reserve; the person who knows most often says least.


Saru mo ki kara ochiru
(Even monkeys fall from trees.)
Even the best experts are not immune to making mistakes; or a warning that "pride comes before a fall”.


Deru kugi wa utareru
(A nail that sticks out will get hammered.)
In Japanese society, conformity is important. If your individuality stands out, you get hammered.


Buta mo odaterya ki ni noboru
(With flattery, even pigs can be made to climb trees)


Onna sannin yoreba kashimashii
(Three women gather - a noisy racket)

The beauty of this one lies in the pictograms. One woman 女 under a roof 安 い reads “yasui”, an adjective for “inexpensive”, “peaceful”, “quiet”. But when three women gather, you get 姦 しい “kashimashii”, an adjective “noisy; boisterous” or “faultfinding; carping; fussy”.


Jishin, Kaminari, Kaji, Oyaji
(Earthquakes, Thunder, Fires, Fathers.)
Sets the traditional Japanese father among the most fearful things.


Ebi de tai o tsuru
(Catch a sea bream with a shrimp.)
To get a big profit for a small effort or price." It is sometimes abbreviated as "Ebi-tai"


Kouin ya no gotoshi
(Time, like an arrow)


Hana yori dango
(Dumplings rather than flowers.)
To have more interest in the food than the flowers (ie: the practical over the aesthetic).


Baka wa shinanakya naoranai
(A fool is only cured by dying )


Baka mo ichi-gei
(Even a fool has at least one talent.)


He to kaji wa moto kara sawagu
(Fart and fire, from the origin, make a fuss.)
It is often the originator who complains loudest.


Neko no hitai no you na
(like a cat's forehead)
…when referring to a very small space