| Word |
Meanings |
Explanations |
| Gomasuri |
ingratiating oneself, apple-polishing, overtly flattering,
toadying, sucking up to one's superiors |
When a person makes an overtly ingratiating remark, he or she is
"grinding sesame seeds." Others call attention to the gomasuri either
by saying the word, by (nonverbally) making motions with the fist over
the palm of the other hand (simulating the grinding of roasted sesame
seeds with a pestle and mortar), or by doing both. Like the messy
sesame seeds ground up in the mortar, the person seeking favor is
sticking to everthig(one). |
| Hana ni Arashi |
Life often brings misfortune at the time of great happiness. |
This fatalistic insight is a shortened version of tsuki ni muragumo,
hana ni arashi, which is literally translated, "Clouds over the moon,
storm over blossoms." It often seems that misfortune looms behind even
the happiest moments |
| Hana yori Dango |
The practical is preferred over the aesthetic. |
Every spring on the day of "flower viewing", Japanese traditionally
travel to the countryside or visit parks to appreciate the beauty of
nature. Yet human nature being what it is, people seem to show considerably
more interest in the food than in the flowers. |
| Iwanu ga Hana |
Some things are better left unsaid; silence is golden |
Since one can never really "take back" what one says, there is a
high premuim on thinking things through before opening one's
mouth. Much harm and nonsense can result from ill-chosen words. Thus
the philosophical ovservation that "Not waying is the flower" |
| Korogaru Ishi ni Koke Musazu |
Perseverance pays off; patience is a virtue. |
For the Japanese, moss is something to be admired. Associated with
beauty, moss grows on rocks and in pathways of old temples in places
like Kyoyo. Yet the stone that continues to tumble will never have
moss. So this expression is often used to admonish others to stay put,
to continue on in the same job. Ironically, this expression is also
used by some Japanese to mean the very opposite, i.e., the meaning
understood by Amerscans: keep moving or you'll get old. |
| Minoru hodo Atama no Sagaru Inaho Kana |
Maturity brings humility and respect for others. |
When rice is mature and reasy to harvest, the heaviness at the top
of the plant pulls it down low to the ground. Japasese see this as
anologous to how the wisdom of years fills a man with humility and
causes his head to bow heavily in his deep respect for life and
nature. |
| Nemawashi |
informally securing prior approval, checking with everyone
who counts before formal presentation, covering all the bases |
Nemawashi now is used worldwide to characterize the
consensus-building nature of Japanses business practices. Literally,
nemawashi means cutting off excess roots and wrapping the remaining
roots with a straw mat for protection when transplanting the tree. In
bussiness terms it means an informal solicitation of agreement before
formal submission of approval at a meeting. |
| Ne mo Ha mo Nai |
groundless, unsubstantiated |
Roots give support to a tree much as facts give support to claims
and allegations . Leaves validate the health of a tree, proving its
life and vitality. With neithere support (roots) nor evidence
(leaves), the (tree) allegation cannot stand. |
| Sakura |
a shill, a plant, a confederate |
|
| Sanshoo wa Kotsubu de mo [Piririto] Karai |
small but powerful, a mughty mire, a person of ability
although small in size |
|
| Takane no Hana |
unrealizable desire, an unobtainable object, something out
of one's reach |
|
| Take o watta Yoo |
honest, frank, decisive, a straight shooter |
| Uri Futatsu |
two peas in a pod, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, frick and frack |
| Yoraba Taiju no Kage |
Choose secure and solid protection. |
| Ame ga Furoo to Yari ga Furoo to |
no matter what, under any circumstances |
| Ame Futte Ji Katamaru |
Adversity builds character; the more challenges successfully met,
the stronger one or a relationship becomes. |
| Kaze no Tayori |
a rumor, a story without source |
| Kumo o Tsukamu Yoo |
wishful thinking, impossible dream |
| Mizu ni Nagasu |
to forgive and forget, to let bygones be bygones |
| Mizu no Awa |
all for nothing, effort in vain |
| Mizu o Utta Yoo |
so quiet you could hear a pin drop, dead silence |
| Mizu Shoobai |
entertainment bussiness, a chancy trade |
| Yakeishi ni Mizu |
a drop in the bucket, completely ineffective |
| Ashimoto kara Tori ga Tatsu |
an unexpected departure, a surprise, a sudden happening |
| Hane o Nobasu |
to cut loose, to get rid of inhibition |
| Karite Kita Neko no Yoo |
as shy and quiet as a kitten |
| Neko mo Shakushi mo |
everybody and his/her mother [brother] |
| Neko ni Koban |
pearls before swine |
| Neko no Hitai |
extremely small in size |
| Neko no Te mo Karitai |
swamped, shorthanded, "up to one's eyeballs" in work |
| Onaji Ana no Mujina |
co-conspirations, brothers in crime |
| Suzume no Namida |
very small amount, a tad |
| Tasu Tori Ato o Nigosazu |
Leave on a good note; create a good impression when leaving
for good. |
| Tsuru no Hitokoe |
voice of authority, unchallengeable order |
| Uma no Hone |
an unknown person with no references, a person of unknown
background |
| Gomame no Hagishiri |
of no consequence, powerless |
| Hachi no Su o Tsutsuita Yoo |
bedlam, chaotic, frenzied |
| Hippari Dako |
Mr./Mrs./Ms. Popularity, a person in great demand, being pulled
in all directions |
| I no Naka no Kawazu [Taikai o Shirazu] |
a provincial, one who has never seen the world |
| Ka no Naku Yoona Koe |
a faint, almost inaudible voice |
| Manaita no Ue no Koi |
doomed, in the hands of God, at the mercy of fate |
| Mushi no Iki |
near one's death, almost dead |
| Nakitsura ni Hachi |
When it rains, it pours; bad things come in threes. |
| Saba o Yomu |
to manipulate the figures to one's advantage, to offer false
numbers intentionally, to inflate or deflate figures |
| Tate Kuu Mushi mo Sukizuki |
There is no accounting for tastes; some prefer nettles. |
| Abata mo Ekubo |
Love in blind |
| Agura o Kaku |
to rest on one's laurels, to coast, to be complacent |
| Ashimoto o Miru |
to exploit someone's weakness in negotiation, to charge what the
traffic will bear |
| Ashi o Arau |
to start over [after discarding a bad situation], to go stright |
| Atama ga Sagaru |
to take off one's hat to another, to acknowledge the exceptional
effort of others |
| Awaseru Kao ga Nai |
to be ashamed, not knowing how to face someone |
| Haragei |
intuitive decision making, going on a gut feeling, negotiating
without the use of direct words |
| Ishin Denshin |
reading each other's heart or mind; wordless, yet deep understanding
between two [close] people |
| Kao ga Hiroi |
to be widely known, to have a large circle of acquaintances, to have
many contacts |
| Katami ga Semai |
a feeling of inferiority or inadequacy |
| Koshi ga Hikui |
very polite, modest or humble |
| Mimi ga Itai |
an acknowledgment that someone's criticism of oneself is correct;
an indication of a prick of conscience, as if saying "you found me out".
|
| Ryooyaku Kuchi ni Nigashi |
Good advice is often unpleasant and difficult to accept |
| Shinzoo ga Tsuyoi |
having nerve or gall, impervious to subtleties |
| Shiroi Me de Miru |
to look coldly upon, to cast an unwelcoming glance |
| Tsura no Kawa ga Atsui |
uncommonly rude, having too much nerve, inconsiderate by nature |
| Ude o Migaku |
to work at mastering one's craft, to improve and cultivate one's skill
|
| Ushirogami o Hikareru Omoi |
a feeling of much reluctance, a feeling of leaving one's heart behind
|
| Ushiroyubi o Sasareru Yoo |
being the object of social contempt, scorn, and criticism. |
| Chiri mo Tsumoreba Yama to Naru |
Little things add up; "Mountains are made from grains of sane."
Small efforts, when accumulated, bring grat success |
| Happoo Bijin |
one who tries to please everyone, one who seeks popularity
at the expense of integrity |
| Hito Hata Ageru |
to succeed in business, particularly one's own enterprise |
| Hitori Zumoo o Toru |
to try hard at something without the support of others |
| Ishi no Ue ni mo Sannen |
perseverence wins in the end; endurance is a virtue. |
| Juunin Toiro |
different strokes for different folks; everyone has his or her own taste;
"to each his own" |
| Nimaijita o Tsukau |
to speak from both sides of the mouth, to speak with a forked tongue
|
| Ni no Ashi o Fumu |
to hesitate, to have second thoughts before taking an action |
| Onna Sannin Yoreba Kashimashii |
Women tend to talk a lot. |
| Sannin Yoreba Monju no Chie |
two heades are better than one |
| Sushizume |
very crowded, jam-packed |
| Ana ga attara Hairitai |
"I'm so ashamed"; "I could've died of embarrassment." |
| Ishibashi o Tataite Wataru |
to proceed with caution, to test the waters before jumping in |
| Kusawake |
pooneering, innovation, original thinking |
| Onobori-san |
country bumpkin, hick, hayseed, someone from the sticks |
| Sumeba Miyako |
Wherever one lives, one comes to love it. |
| Watari ni Fune |
timely assistance, something that saves the day |
| Asameshi Mae |
a piece of cake, an easy task |
| Baka wa Shinanakya Naoranai |
Once a fool, always a fool. |
| Chan-Pon |
a combination of ingredients [often that don't mix well],
a medley of elements |
| Deru Kui wa Utareru |
Excellence is shot down by mediocrity; doing better than others
evokes jealousy; difference is forced into conformity. |
| Hakoiri Musume |
an innocent girl of a good family, an overprotected daughter |
| Juubako no Sumi o [Yooji de] Tsutsuku |
to be obsessively oriented toward inconsequential details,
to dwell on minutiae, to split hairs |
| Kataboo o Katsugu |
to take part in, to hold up one's end of the operation, to have a hand in
|
| Kooin Ya no Gotoshi |
Time flies; time and tide wait for no man |
| Koshikake |
a stepping stone for something better, for the next stage |
| Kusai Mono ni wa Futa o Suru |
to opt for short-term solutions, to [temporarily] push aside and
ignore problems |
| Madogiwa Zoku |
people who have been promoted beyond function, people who have been
"kicked upstairs" |
| Noren ni Udeoshi |
a useless and complestely ineffectice action, a wasted effort |
| Onaji Kama no Meshi o Kutta |
having shared a common experience, having been through a log together
|
| Saji o Nageru |
to give up in despair, to throw in the towel |
| Sashimi no Tsuma |
insignificant participant, uninfluential presence |
| Sode no Shita |
Under the table, off the books, bribery |
| Suna o Kamu Yoo |
dull, unhappy, and wearisome [life] |
| Taikoban o Osu |
to vouch enthusiastically for a person, to recommend highly, virtually
to guarantee a person's success |
| Yuushuu no Bi o Kazaru |
to achieve something great just before the end [of one's career], to end
with a flourish, to go out with a bang |
Copyright by Kitti Kosavisutte