Japanese idioms

[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards] 高嶺の花 Wistfully, a prize you can see but simply cannot reach. The beautiful flower is so far away that there is no real hope of picking it. Used to describe the object of desire which is completely out of reach. Sample text: (Style: spoken/casual/A=female, B=male) A: Yamamoto kun ne, Yooko-san ni …

[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards] 風の便り A letter delivered from the God of the Wind. Used to suggest news from an unnamed or an easily forgotten source. No direct line of communication exists. This expression compares with “a little birdie told me.” Sample text: (Style: spoken/casual/A=male, B=female) A: Kyonen Amerika e kaetta Sumisu-san, ima doo shiteru ka …

[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards] 雲をつかむよう Since nobody can actually grasp a cloud, the expression denotes impossibility. From afar, a cloud has shape and form. Close-up, its gossamer essence dissipates at the touch. So when a not-so-talented sixteen-year-old declares that she’s going to become a movie star, you can respond by saying it’s a kumo o …

[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards] 白い目で見る This expression means to treat someone with disdain bodering on contempt. This is an especially appropriate phrase when the person is outside of one’s group. Why shiroi (white) eyes? One theory is that eyes without pupils would have a cold, ghostly look analogous to a scornful rebuke. Sample text: (Style: …

[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards] 腰かけ It’s an accepted custom that Japanese women office workers looking for husbands willingly accept menial jobs in corporations. Theirs position is seen as temporary. Koshikake means a chair, a bench, or a stool; an object upon which one rests briefly. It’s easy to see how the phrase would come to …

[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards] ちりも積もれば山となる This expression teaches the moral that, little by little and bit by bit, one’s persistent efforts will lead to achievement. Even the smallest of efforts, however trivial they may seem at the time, will contribute toward one’s ultimate success. Sample text: (Style: spoken/casual/A=male, B=female) A: Okane sonna sukoshi zutsu no …

[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards] ばかは死ななきゃ治らない A derogatory term used in reference to someone who consistently demonstrates incompetence or poor judgment. Said in moments of exasperation, the phrase suggests an attitude of “I give up; there’s no hope for you.” Sample text: (Style: spoken/casual/male) A: Aitsu, hontooni zetsubooteki da ne. Nani yatte mo dame na n …

Japanese idiom - quote - proverb.

[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards] 水に流す A river carries bad memories away. By setting adrift the pain of a romantic breakup or the betrayal by a once-trusted friend, you start things anew. Once into the river’s flow, the thing-to-forget heads downstream, never to return. Sample text: (Style: spoken/formal/female) A: Desukara, sore wa moo wasuremashoo. Mukashi no koto …