It’s a common experience for language learners to encounter a phrase that doesn’t make sense at first glance. English learners are often confused when they hear things like “spill the beans” and “the elephant in the room.” These phrases are examples of idioms where the literal words mean something entirely different to native speakers.
Naturally, there are also idioms in Japanese. If you’re not prepared, you can easily become perplexed. So, when you consider how to learn Japanese, you’ll want to account for Japanese idioms.
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Understanding Japanese idioms vs. interpreting kanji
Idioms in any language have meanings that aren’t immediately apparent, yet they typically have logical explanations. This description also applies to kanji—Chinese characters adapted into Japanese words.
Both individual kanji and words comprised of kanji can be broken down and analyzed. For example, the kanji for “flower” (花) combines the symbols for “grass” (⺾) and “change” (化), because flowers are plants that change when they bloom. The word for “passionate” (熱心) is a combination of the kanji characters for “hot” (熱) and “heart” (心).
Sometimes the lines blur between Japanese idioms and kanji symbolism. Regardless, learning to be flexible in your interpretations has multiple benefits for your Japanese learning! Let’s develop those skills as we explore fun Japanese idioms.
Grammar tips for Japanese idioms
Japanese idioms are typically full phrases on their own, but some can naturally be woven into longer sentences. The Japanese grammar for a particular idiom will largely depend on which part of speech it is, whether it’s a verb, noun, adjective, etc. Proverbs and set phrases can’t easily be altered.
Here are a couple charts of Japanese idioms that can accelerate your vocabulary!
12 idioms in Japanese that refer to body parts
The most common motif in Japanese idioms are references to body parts. Some body parts are used as metaphors for your qualities, such as “arms” representing “skills” or “mouth” representing your “manner of speaking.”
| Japanese | Romanization | Literal translation | Actual Meaning |
| 腹が立つ | hara ga tatsu | your stomach stands | to get angry (verb) |
| 腕を磨く | ude o migaku | to polish your arms | to refine your skills (verb) |
| 首を切る | kubi o kiru | to cut your neck | to get fired (verb) |
| 間一髪 | kan ippatsu | the width of one hair | a close call (noun) |
| 口が悪い | kuchi ga warui | your mouth is bad | you speak rudely/bluntly (adjective) |
| 口に合う | kuchi ni au | matches your mouth | to suit your palate (verb) |
| 足を引っ張る | ashi o hipparu | to pull your feet | to hold you back from success (verb) |
| 胸に落ちる | mune ni ochiru | to fall in your chest | to be convinced of something (verb) |
| 寝耳に水 | ne mimi ni mizu | water in a sleeping ear | surprising news (noun) |
| 耳に胼胝ができる | mimi ni tako ga dekiru | grow calluses on your ears | to get sick of hearing something (verb) |
| 喉から手が出る | nodo kara te ga deru | a hand is coming from your throat | to want something very badly (verb) |
| 肩で風を切る | kata de kaze o kiru | to cut the wind with your shoulder | to be confident/to swagger (verb) |
11 Japanese idioms using animals
It’s also common for idioms to include animals. Different animals represent certain personalities, and the images evoked in these animal idioms are easy to grasp.
Two of these idioms mention cats. There are many references to cats in Japanese culture since Japanese people adore cats! Their love has led to the success of “cat cafes” and even the establishment of cat islands. If you’re a cat person, these are amazing places to visit and try out your Japanese words for travel.
| Japanese | Romanization | Literal translation | Actual Meaning |
| 猫舌 | neko jita | cat tongue | sensitivity to hot foods/drinks (noun) |
| 猫の手も借りたい | neko no te mo karitai | I even want help from a cat | I need all the help I can get (set phrase) |
| 猿も木から落ちる | saru mo ki kara ochiru | even monkeys fall from trees | even experts fail sometimes (proverb) |
| 虫が騒ぐ | mushi ga sawagu | insects are making noise | to be restless/wanting to do something (verb) |
| 泣き面に蜂 | naki tsura ni hachi | bees to a crying face | adding insult to injury (noun) |
| 長蛇を逸す | chōda o issu | to miss catching a long snake | to miss out on an opportunity (verb) |
| トカゲの尻尾切り | tokage no shippo giri | the shedding of a lizard’s tail | escaping blame by using a scapegoat (noun) |
| 犬が西向きゃ尾は東 | inu ga nishi mukya o wa higashi | if the dog is facing West, their tail is facing East | it goes without saying; it’s obvious (set phrase) |
| 馬に乗るまでは牛に乗れ | uma ni noru made wa ushi ni nore | until you can ride a horse, ride a cow | there’s a proper order for developing skills (proverb) |
| 前門の虎後門の狼 | zenmon no tora kōmon no ōkami | the front gate has a tiger, the back gate has a wolf | between two difficult situations (set phrase) |
| 二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず | nito o ou mono wa itto o mo ezu | someone who chases after two rabbits won’t even catch one | if you divide your efforts, you won’t accomplish anything (proverb) |
While these charts give you lots of idioms in Japanese to get familiar with, there are some helpful idioms that you might want to better understand. We’ll explain their pronunciation and the context so you don’t make any faux pas as you use them!
1. Kūki o yomu (空気を読む)
Pronunciation: koo-kee oh yoh-moo
If you’ve encountered many native Japanese people, you’ll know that people rarely share their feelings openly in Japanese culture. This is demonstrated in the terms honne (本音) and tatemae (建前). These two Japanese words that have deep meanings can respectively be thought of as one’s true feelings as opposed to their public stance.
Since Japanese people communicate indirectly, it’s important to discern implications. This is where the expression kūki o yomu comes in. An exact translation would be “read the air,” but it can be compared to the English idioms “read the room” and “read between the lines.”
The phrase kūki o yomu is so fundamental it’s abbreviated as KY in Japanese slang. If you hear KY in Japanese conversation, it’s a warning for you to pay more attention to Japanese social cues!
Kūki o yomu is a verb and follows standard conjugation rules. It’s typically used in casual speech.
- Futari wa majime na hanashi o shiteiru. Kūki o yonde, acchi ni ikanaide. (二人は真面目な話をしている。空気を読んで、あっちに行かないで) = Those two are having a serious talk. Read the room and don’t go over there.
- Kare wa shitsukokute, kūki o yomanai hito. (かれはしつこくて、空気を読まない人。) = He’s too persistent and doesn’t read between the lines.
2. Chōshi ni noru (調子に乗る)
Pronunciation: chohh-shee nee noh-roo
The definition of chōshi is largely contextual. This idiom can be thought of as a “mood” or “state/condition.” Noru means “to ride.” If you’re “riding the mood,” you’re getting carried away. Maybe you’re becoming arrogant or you’re so happy that you have blinders on.
This casual idiom is often invoked to warn someone against “riding the mood.”
- Konkai wa umaku itta ga, chōshi ni noru na. (今回は上手くいったが、調子に乗るな。) = It went well this time but don’t get carried away.
- Chōshi ni notte sumimasen. (調子に乗ってすみません。) = Sorry, I got carried away.
3. Hima tsubushi (暇潰し)
Pronunciation: hee-mah tsoo-boo-shee
This Japanese idiom parallels the English idiom about “killing time.” Hima is “free time” and tsubushi means “smashing” or “breaking.” Hima tsubushi is a noun and describes the activity you do when you have extra time to kill. By adding o suru, you can change hima tsubushi into a verb.
- Watashi ni totte hon o yomu no wa hima tsubushi desu. (私にとって本を読むのは暇潰しです。) = For me, reading books is a way to kill time.
- Gēmu sentā de hima tsubushi o shimashou. (ゲームセンターで暇潰しをしましょう。) = Let’s kill time at an arcade.
4. Kōjin o hai suru (後塵を拝する)
Pronunciation: kohh-jeen oh hye soo-roo
This set phrase translates to “worship the dust behind them.” Two English idioms have some overlapping meanings: “be left in the dust” and “worship the ground they walk on.”
All of these idioms depict a large gulf between the two parties. The Japanese idiom is typically applied to people in a superior-subordinate relationship at work, but the separation could also be differences in ability or class differences. This idiom can indicate feelings of jealousy, but more often, it’s an expression of respect.
Respecting hierarchy is emphasized in Japanese culture, especially Japanese work culture. There are many specific cultural guidelines when navigating Japanese work situations, such as appropriately using Japanese honorifics.
The word kōjin is rarely seen elsewhere in Japanese, but the character hai (拝) frequently comes up in Japanese honorific language or keigo. To learn more about keigo, this Japanese language guide can be quite helpful!
5. Bara iro (バラ色)
Pronunciation: bah-rah ee-roh
Together, bara (rose) and iro (color) bring to mind the English expression “rose-colored glasses,” but the Japanese version plays it straight. If you have a “rose-colored life,” you have a genuinely good life. If you have a “rose-colored future,” you are optimistic about your prospects.
As bara iro is a Japanese color word, you use it grammatically as most other color words. If you put bara iro in front of a noun, you connect the words with the particle no (の).
- Seito tachi ni wa bara iro no mirai ga matteimasu. (生徒達にはバラ色の未来が待っています。) = The students have a bright future waiting for them.
6. Akai ito de musubareru (赤い糸で結ばれる)
Pronunciation: ah-kye ee-toh deh moo-soo-bah-reh-roo
This is perhaps the most romantic Japanese idiom! It means “tied together with a red string.” Japanese culture depicts soulmates as connected by a red string tied around their pinkies. Localizations often translate this as “the red string of fate.” If someone references the akai ito (red string) when talking about you and your significant other, they believe you are a strong couple.
Due to the subject matter, this Japanese idiom is usually for casual conversations between friends. It is also usually conjugated into continuous form.
- Futari wa yōyaku kekkon suru! Akai ito de musubareteiru yo ne. (二人はようやく結婚する！赤い糸で結ばれているよね。) = They’re finally getting married! They were destined for each other, right?
7. Hana yori dango (花より団子)
Pronunciation: hah-nah yoh-ree dahn-goh
Hana are flowers. Yori means “rather than.” Dango are a Japanese street food similar to dumplings. Since the Japanese word order is flipped compared to English, together they mean “dango rather than flowers.” The implication is you should prioritize things that are functional over things you appreciate visually.
This Japanese idiom left its mark in pop culture! A romance manga series changed this expression into a pun for its title. While dango typically refers to the food, dan is also a reading of the kanji for “boy” (男). The translation “boys over flowers” became the English title. The manga was already well-liked, but the franchise exploded in popularity when it was adapted into live-action dramas—both a Japanese version and a South Korean version.
8. Chōran no ki (重卵之危)
Pronunciation: chohh-rahn noh kee
The four kanji in chōran no ki together can be construed to mean “the danger of stacking eggs.” It’s essentially the Japanese idiom for “don’t put your eggs in one basket.”
This idiom is also an example of a special kind of Japanese word called a yoji jukugo (四字熟語). A yoji jukugo is comprised of four kanji without Japanese particles. Yoji jukugo are often idioms, but not always. They are seen as poetic and more open to interpretation.
Thanks to their esoteric nature, most yoji jukugo are not used in daily conversation. However, you’ll get insights into the Japanese mindset. Ichi-go ichi-e is an important yoji jukugo which means “one opportunity, one encounter,” encouraging you to treasure unique moments.
9. Isseki nichō (一石二鳥)
Pronunciation: ee-seh-kee nee-chohh
Here’s another example of a yoji jukugo. This one is derived from the English idiom “kill two birds with one stone” but more succinctly phrases it as “one stone, two birds.” While its origins are found in another language, it has become a common Japanese idiom.
- Sou sureba, isseki nichō desu ne! (そうすれば、一石二鳥ですね！) = If we do that, it’ll kill two birds with one stone!
10. Ichi ka bachi ka (一か八か)
Pronunciation: ee-chee kah bah-chee kah
This idiom also centers on Japanese numbers. Ichi is “one” and bachi comes from hachi meaning “eight.”
This phrase directly translated is “maybe one, maybe eight.” Its exact origins are unclear, but the consensus is that the term comes from gambling. During the Edo period (1603-1868) there was an alternate phrase “maybe one, maybe six” (ichi ka roku ka, 一か六か) based on rolling dice, which helps contextualize this Japanese idiom.
Ichi ka bachi ka expresses that you don’t know how things will turn out, but you’ll risk it. It’s sometimes compared to “it’s all or nothing” in English.
- Sēkō ka dou ka wakaranai ga, ichi ka bachi ka yatte miru. (成功かどうか分からないが、一か八かやってみる。) = I don’t know whether I’ll succeed, but I’m going to take a chance.
“Polish your Japanese arms” by learning Japanese idioms
There are so many fun idioms in Japanese! And not only are they fun to use, but they give insight into the worldview of native speakers. Idioms that reference animals also let you use some cute Japanese words that roll off the tongue.
When learning a foreign language, coming to understand that language’s idioms is a major step that demonstrates true mastery. If you’d like to improve your language skills, Rosetta Stone has multiple resources targeting different aspects of language learning. With the Rosetta Stone App, you can “polish” your listening, speaking, and reading “arms!”
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