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Japanese Idioms
The Japanese language is filled with idioms of all sorts, from classical references from ancient Chinese to modern colloquialisms used by college students and young salaryman. Whether you are traveling to Japan for fun or on business, or are living there, you'll find idioms indispensible to understanding and using the daily language. Browse below to find the ones you want or simply explore the many possible ways to express yourself in Japanese.
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歯が浮くようなお世辞
[はがうくようなおせじ, ha ga uku you na oseji] nauseating flattery
歯が利く
[はがきく, ha ga kiku] be of use
歯が立たない
[はがたたない, ha ga tatanai] be beyond one’s ability
歯が立たぬ
[はがたたぬ, ha ga tatanu] beyond one’s power
歯が立つ
[はがたつ, ha ga tatsu] be able to do; make understand
馬鹿ちょん
[ばかちょん, baka-chon] foolproof, idiot-proof (n.b.: despite claims, baka-chon is not derogatory toward Koreans, but nonetheless this word is not often used anymore)
馬鹿丁寧
ばかていねい, baka-teinei] polite to a fault; excessively polite (lit.: fool polite)
はきはき
[はきはき, haki haki] briskly; cleanly; crisply
歯応えがする
[はごたえがする, hakotae ga suru] have opposition
恥知らず
[はじしらず, haji-shirazu] shameless person (lit.: not knowing shame)
働き蟻
[はたらきあり, hataraki-ari] hard worker
働き蜂
[はたらきばち, hataraki-bachi] hard worker
ぱちぱち
[ぱちぱち, pachi pachi] crackly, snap
八文字を踏む
[はちもんじをふむ, hachimonji o fumu] walk parrot-toed
八方美人
[はっぽうびじん, happou bijin] one who shows people what they want to see
八方塞がり
[はっぽうふさがり, happou fusagari] cornered; embattled on all sides
初耳
[はつみみ, hatsumimi] haven't heard that before; that's news to me (lit.: first ear)
派手好み
[はでごのみ, hade-gonomi] showy, expressive person (lit.: someone who likes a showy, dramatic style)
派手好き
[はでずき, hade-zuki] showy, expressive person (lit.: someone who likes a showy, dramatic style)
派手にやる
[はでにやる, hade ni yaru] be excessive; be extravagant
鼻が開く
[はながあく, hana ga aku] be amazed; be bemused
鼻が高い
[はながたかい, hana ga takai] be proud
花金
[はなきん, hana-kin] happy Friday; TGIF (lit.: flowery Friday, when young men and others would stay out until the last trains headed in for the night)
鼻毛をよむ
[はなげをよむ, hanage o yomu] make a fool of a man; lead a man by his nose
鼻先の思案
[はなさきのしあん, hanasaki no shian] short-sighted thought
話にはならない
[はなしにはならない, hanashi niwa naranai] be out of the question
話の腰を折る
[はなしのこしをおる, hanashi no koshi o oru] interrupt someone
話を飲む
[はなしをのむ, hanashi o nomu] go along with; accept
鼻につく
[はなにつく, hana ni tsuku] be disgusted with; it stinks; stick in one's craw
花の給料日
[はなのきゅうりょうび, hana no kyuuryoubi] payday (lit.: flowery payday, when young men and others would stay out until the last trains headed in for the night)
鼻の先であしらう
[はなのさきであしらう, hana no saki de ashirau] turn up one’s nose; treat in a haughty manner
鼻の下
[はなのした, hana no shita] the mouth
鼻の下が長い
[はなのしたがながい, hana no shita ga nagai] be infatuated
花の十八歳
[はなのじゅうはっさい, hana no juuhassai] blossoming 18-year-old girl (lit.: 18 year flower)
鼻ぺちゃ
[はなぺちゃ, hanapecha] flat-nosed (person) (from “hana” [nose] and “pechanko” [flattened])
鼻を折る
[はなをおる, hana o oru] humiliate
花を咲かせる
[はなをさかせる, hana o sakaseru] have fun talking about something
鼻を高める
[はなをたかめる, hana o takameru] be proud; be boastful
花を摘む
[はなをつむ, hana o tsumu] peeing or pooping in the woods (used by women)
花を持たせる
[はなをもたせる, hana o motaseru] let someone have/take the credit for
歯に合わない
[はにあわない, ha ni awanai] be unsuitable
歯に絹着せない
[はにきぬきせない, ha ni kinusenai] speak frankly
歯の浮くようなお世辞
[はのうくようなおせじ, ha no uku you na oseji] nauseating flattery
歯の根が合わない
[はのねがあわない, ha no ne ga awanai] have one’s teeth chatter with fear
早とちりする
[はやとちりする, hayatochiri suru] jump to conclusions
腹が大きい
[はらがおおきい, hara ga ookii] be pregnant; have a potbelly; be big-hearted
腹が立つ
[はらがたつ, hara ga tatsu] be furious; get angry; be pissed off
腹ができている
[はらができている, hara ga dekite iru] be resolute; be prepared
腹がへこへこする
[はらがへこへこする, hara ga heko heko suru] be starving; be very hungry
腹が減る
[はらがへる, hara ga heru] be hungry
腹下し
[はらくだし, hara-kudashi] loose bowels; loose stool
腹黒い
[はらぐろい, hara-guroi] black-hearted, wicked, evil
腹立ち
[はらだち, haradachi] anger
腹違い
[はらちがい, hara-chigai] refers to children of the same father but different mother
腹の中で笑う
[はらのなかでわらう, hara no naka de warau] laugh in one’s sleeve
腹の身の内
[はらのみのうち, hara no mi no uchi] be temperate in eating and drinking
腹八合医者いらず
[はらはちごういしゃいらず, hara hachigou isha irazu] temperance requires no physician; “temperance is the best physician”
腹八分目
[はらはちぶんめ, hara hachibunme] do not overeat; do not eat too much; eat in moderation
腹をかかえて笑う
[はらをかかえてわらう, hara o kakaete warau] hold one’s sides with laughter
腹を立てる
[はらをたてる, hara o tateru] lose one’s temper; become angry with
腹を読む
[はらをよむ, hara o yomu] read someone’s mind
はらを割って言わせば, [はらをわっていわせば
hara o watte iwaseba] to be honest be frank
破廉恥人間
[はれんちにんげん, harenchi-ningen] shameless person
歯をならす
[はをならす, ha o narasu] be angry; be sorry
歯を見せない
[はをみせない, ha o misenai] remain serious
歯をむく
[はをむく, ha o muku] become angry
晩婚化
[ばんこんか, bankonka] later marriage; marrying when older