Questions tagged [idioms]
慣用句・ことわざ. Phrases with fixed words used as a single unit, typically with a meaning beyond what is obvious from its constituent parts.
177
questions
6
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1answer
539 views
What is the etymology of the phrase 隴を得て蜀を望む?
I just came across this phrase, which is listed in the dictionary as:
never being satisfied with what one gets, and always wanting more; giving someone an inch and having them take a mile; taking ...
0
votes
0answers
80 views
What does the idiom 上の空 mean? [closed]
I’ve seen this phrase used like this 「上の空で聞きました。」I take that to mean something like “I listened with my head in the clouds” or “... absentmindedly.”
But then I came across 「幸せは上の空です。」I don’t ...
1
vote
1answer
103 views
鋭い牙が meaning in human nature
落ち着いて見えても、鋭い牙が内包されていることに変わりはない。
It was a sentence in a light novel (ようこそ実力至上主義の教室へ) that I've been reading, and I have an impression that it should be some kind of idiomatic words.
鋭い (from Jisho....
3
votes
2answers
195 views
Japanese idiom for “don’t get your meat where you get your bread”?
There is an idiomatic expression in Portuguese:
Onde se ganha o pão não se come a carne
Literally, it would translate to "where one earns their bread one does not eat the meat" and it relates to a ...
2
votes
1answer
126 views
Last Minute + Studying/Questions etc
In English "last minute" is a pretty common phrase, but I am having a hard time finding a parallel in Japanese. I want to say things like
Any last minute questions?
I am doing some last minute ...
2
votes
1answer
112 views
How may I express concern without asking if the person is 'OK' but wanting them to be 'OK'?
How may I express concern without asking if the person is 'OK' but wanting them to be 'OK'?
It's not obvious how to do so in English. In English you might say something like "get well soon", but that'...
7
votes
1answer
191 views
What is the term for the English idiom of “with high stakes”?
In English there is the idiomatic expression "with high stakes." There is also the adjective high-stakes, which means involving serious risks if there is no success. Is there a similar idiom in ...
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2answers
165 views
How would I say “This place is Heaven on Earth”?
How would I say "This place is Heaven on Earth"? Would
このところは地球上の天国です。
be correct?
4
votes
2answers
863 views
What does 鴨が葱を背負って来る mean?
I checked the meaning of Farfetch'd on Bulbapedia and it says it is "カモネギ", likely to be inspired by "鴨が葱を背負って来る", meaning "something surprising, but convenient".
What does "surprising but ...
3
votes
2answers
227 views
What is the meaning of 山は越えたよ?
The sentence given with its translation is:
I'm out of the woods.
山 は 越えた よ。
When I looked up the word "越えた", it was only matched with "越える" instead.
I think the meaning is similar.
When I ...
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vote
2answers
184 views
Is there a Japanese word for the game “horseshoes?”
I'm guessing this will come across as two questions, but their interrelation is important...
Is there a specific word for the game where you toss a horseshoe at a peg (in English just called ...
2
votes
1answer
294 views
What is the correct parsing of お高くとまる?
I had always thought that the phrase お高くとまる consisted of the adverbial お高く combined with the verb とまる. I never actually paid much attention to the literal meaning since it is obviously a figurative ...
1
vote
1answer
267 views
Not seeing is a flower?
Can anyone explain what does this idiom means ?
I read the English translation and googled it but I still don’t know what it really means and what does flower refer to .
見ぬが花
“Not seeing is a ...
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vote
1answer
174 views
Jibun dake baka o miru meaning?
I saw it on a prep book and there says the meaning is to waste time and money, but I don't understand how.
2
votes
1answer
91 views
What does 意識が遠くなる mean?
I ran into this japanese medical site. http://www.kojinkai.or.jp/msc/outpatient-selfcheck18.html
The title "意識が遠くなる" stumps me. Best I can guess is "Consciousness is fading." Is that right? "...
3
votes
2answers
114 views
About using おかげさまで as a standalone
I've been doing some research on おかげさまで and, not content with just memorising sayings, am wondering why おかげさまで is used as a standalone/response.
Does it mean 'thanks to you', 'thanks to God and ...
3
votes
1answer
118 views
In the clause われこそはと心驕りしていられる方々からは, … what does the と mean?
I read this clause as something like "I myself surely, and all of those whose hearts were being made indignant, (...)" However, I'm not confident this is correct, mainly because I'm not sure what the ...
1
vote
2answers
189 views
Difference between 七転び八起き and 七転八起
I really need someones help and PRONTO!!
So I have finally decided my next Japanese Kanji tattoo! :)
BUT I got one problem when I was doing some research on "Fall down seven times, stand up eight." I ...
7
votes
3answers
190 views
鶴の一声 — Origin and context?
So, I understand what the idiom actually means, roughly -- "the final word," "the word from on high." But where does it come from? Is there a story or a history that gives it context?
2
votes
1answer
164 views
Understanding 絵に描いたように
そんな絵に描いたように満ち足りたダーズリー家にも、たった一つ秘密があった。
In the Dursley family, who were the very picture of contentment, there was just one secret.
My translation of そんな絵に描いたように満ち足りた is purely a guess based on Jisho'...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
What does 今日という日 mean?
I'm trying to translate a song lyric that says
今日という日は 過去 前例のない
僕たちの誓い日和だよ
And I get a dictionary result at Jisho for 今日という日 as something like every day; all day but that doesn't make any sense ...
5
votes
1answer
128 views
「守りが甘い[上手]{うわて}」…どういう意味ですか？
守りが甘い上手【うわて】と打つとやられるぞ
"If you play this stronger player for whom 'protection is sweet' you will be done for."
is my best attempt to understand. The context in which this happens is the teacher of ...
6
votes
1answer
145 views
Is あわやと思った an idiom? What is the meaning of あわや?
I've come across this sentence
あわやと思ったその時
and I have looked around without success for a translation for あわや. Tangorin simply says it's an adverb meaning 'almost on the verge of happening', but ...
2
votes
1answer
88 views
尻馬に乗る Have I understood this idiom correctly?
So I am struggling with this sentence, and was wondering if I have interpreted the idiom correctly?
I have found that 尻馬に乗る means 'to follow suit', 'to follow the lead of others' or 'A fool laughs ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Japanese idiom equivalent to “that ship has sailed”
What is the closest expression in Japanese that conveys a similar meaning to the English idiom "that ship has sailed", referring to an "missed opportunity" and "it's too late (to do anything about it)"...
4
votes
3answers
118 views
一線を画する ambiguity
This passage comes from Underground by Haruki Murakami:
年長者であり医師であり、科学技術省の「武闘派」とは一線を画している林が敢えて実行者として選ばれた理由は不明だが...
The translation by Alfred Birnbaum is
Why Hayashi - a senior medical doctor ...
1
vote
1answer
110 views
Meaning of ツッコミどころ多すぎ?
I've come across the phrase:
ツッコミどころ多すぎ
In a book where the character was for a second time expressing annoyance at his colleague's reckless actions.
But I'm unsure of it's meaning since it ...
5
votes
2answers
141 views
How to interpret “一日の楽しみ”
こいつにとって水泳は本当に一日の楽しみなんだと思う。
The person in question here swims literally everyday.
"I think she really enjoys swimming (everyday? all the time?)"
It's hard to fit these use cases here.
0
votes
0answers
81 views
A good translation for 寒がるふり / 冷めたふり / etc?
Every once in a while, I come across some variant of a phrase that would literally translate to "pretending to be cold."
As far as I can tell, it refers to a sort of desperate attention-seeking ...
1
vote
2answers
236 views
What's 'to take one's proper station' in japanese?
It was quoted in The Chrysanthemum and the Sword and appears to be a japanese idiom.
0
votes
1answer
140 views
～とく・ておく to emphasize a negative thing?
I know ておく・とく as meaning "in preparation for something". But today I came across the following two sentences:
あれだけみっともない辞め方をしといて、まだ政府にモノが言えるのは、民主党はいまだ鳩山の懐をあてにして金を貰っているのでしょうか。 (from Oshiete Goo)
...
2
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2answers
119 views
meaning of 身を切る
This is a passage from Ｒｅ：ゼロから始める異世界生活 2 light novel. Subaru has finished telling Ram the Japanese story The Ogre who cried. story summary by Crunchyroll (link contains spoilers for the anime ...
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vote
2answers
668 views
Meaning of: いらっしゃいます。
I know what はじめまして means. It means, pleased / nice to meet you. When reading Manga at school to learn these expressions, I see the phrase quite often.
But there was one Manga where I saw the phrase, ...
1
vote
1answer
139 views
Is 二人の顔はそっくりだ a possible way to say “Both of their faces look the same”?
This is my attempt at translating the sentence "Both of their faces look the same":
二人の顔はそっくりだ
Does it make sense or is it completely wrong?
2
votes
2answers
504 views
Is there an idiom for something that will never happen? [duplicate]
Inspired by this question on English SE, and the List of idioms of improbability in Wikipedia which does not have an entry for Japanese, I was wondering... Is there an idiom in Japanese for something ...
1
vote
1answer
133 views
蜘蛛の子を散らす-help with this idiom
While I was reading a text, I came across this idiom 「蜘蛛の子を散らす」but this is how it shows up in online dictionaries. I understood what it means and in what context can be used but it would seem that ...
5
votes
1answer
160 views
Is 足りるだけ with a negative verb idiomatic?
I've encountered sentences like:
「皆【みんな】に足【た】りるだけの椅子【いす】がありません」and
「皆に足りるだけのコーヒーがありません」.
In English, we wouldn't say, "There aren't just enough chairs," except perhaps as, "There barely ...
2
votes
0answers
115 views
Searching for idiom frequency list
I am looking for a list of the most common idioms in Japanese, and ideally I want the list to be frequency-based. In other words, it should be based on a large corpus.
2
votes
2answers
102 views
Is “煽りを喰らう” an idiom/set-phrase? If so what does it mean?
I came across the phrase in a novel, I've never heard of it before and am curious to know if it's an idiom/set-phrase and what context it could be used in.
In this novel for example two characters ...
11
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3answers
1k views
Japanese idioms of improbability
I'm sure most (English speakers) have heard terms like:
when pigs fly
or
when hell freezes over
or
when the Cubs win the World Series [obsolete] (U.S. only)
Am wondering if there is ...
2
votes
1answer
6k views
Why does “hajimete” mean “for the first time”?
はじめて(hajimete) is the te-form of the verb はじめる(hajimeru) - to begin. How come it means "for the first time" and is used appropriately to mean the whole phrase? Is it an idiom?
8
votes
3answers
312 views
Meaning of 足のつかない?
I wasn't able to find any matches through dictionaries for 足のつかない or 足がつかない.
Here is the sentence:
消えても足のつかない人間をさらっては上の集団に引き渡すらしい
The context is thugs kidnapping people for money.
I don't ...
6
votes
1answer
148 views
Meaning of かませるワンちゃん
Context: boxer A tells boxer B that the president of the gym, who is also boxer B's father, cannot come to watch boxer B's match. Boxer B doesn't have a good relationship with his father.
Boxer A: ...
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vote
1answer
195 views
“Neee” instead of one's name or before his name — what does this mean?
When someone - my friend - says "neeee" to me, what does it mean? It's not when I say something and they respond "neeee" or "sou da yo neee". It's when "neee" is used either by itself, or instead of ...
3
votes
2answers
102 views
Is there a phrase/idiom similar to 'critical mass'?
I doubt the literal equivalent 臨界量 is likely to work here.
I'm speaking in the sense of a community activity, where a critical mass of people is required in order for it to survive. e.g. if a group ...
3
votes
1answer
77 views
localizing historical allusions (Waterloo; Honnoji)
English occasionally uses "Waterloo" idiomatically to refer to a situation where someone meets their (ultimate) defeat. (historical allusion to Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo)
"That ...
4
votes
2answers
117 views
Is “悪い所を煮詰めたような” an idiom? If so what does it mean?
I'm reading a passage from a book, here one of the characters is making a few observations about the personality of another character (慶介 - Keisuke) who has moved up in status and is a new member ...
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vote
2answers
179 views
How to express “They only think about themselves”
I am trying to come up with this sentence, but I feel like some parts of it are too literal and idiomatic, and some words I used here are new to me, so maybe I made some poor decisions when picking ...
4
votes
1answer
124 views
What does it 「天分に生きる」actually mean?
I found this term in a scientist book and my effort so far was to copy paste the word into ejje weblio, but weblio didn't gave me an answer. Is this phrase a kind of idiom or something? How can I ...
2
votes
3answers
248 views
X wants for Y to not be Z
I have a translation of a given sentence in English, but the Japanese version seems to use a verb that seems a little different than what would be intended, so I wanted to ask about it here and double-...
