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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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ぐずぐずする
[ぐずぐずする, guzu-guzu suru] dilly-dally; be slow and wishy-washy
口入れ
[くちいれ, kuchi-ire
recommendation, aegeis
口裏を合わせる
[くちうらをあわせる, kuchi-ura o awaseru] make sure stories agree; get stories straight
口が開く
[くちがあく, kuchi ga aku] there is an opening, a vacant position
口がうるさい
[くちがうるさい, kuchi ga urusai] say something that should not have been said
口が多い
[くちがおおい, kuchi ga ooi] good talker
口が重い
[くちがおもい, kuchi ga omoi] talk little; talk reluctantly
口が軽い
[くちがかるい, kuchi ga karui] speak without thinking
口が少ない
[くちがすくない, kuchi ga sukunai] poor talker
口堅い
[くちがたい, kuchi-gatai] discreet person
口から生まれた
[くちからうまれた, kuchi kara umareta] be a chatterbox
口が悪い
[くちがわるい, kuchi ga warui] have a sharp tongue
口々に
[くちぐちに, kuchi-guchi ni] here and there; severally, mutually
口車
[くちぐるま, kuchi-guruma] wheedling, cajoling
口車に乗せる
[くちぐるまにのせる, kuchi-guruma ni noseru] wheedle; coax; take someone in by talking
口先人間
[くちさきにんげん, kuchisaki ningen] someone who is all talk and no do (lit.: mouth-front person)
口過ぎ
[くちすぎ, kuchi-sugi] livelihood
口出し
[くちだし, kuchi-dashi] obtruding remarks, interference
口止め
[くちどめ, kuchi-dome] muzzling; bribing into secrecy
口止め金
[くちどめきん, kuchi-dome-kin] hush money, bribe
口に合う
[くちにあう, kuchi ni au] suit one’s tastes
口に涎
[くちによだれ, kuchi ni yodare]
drool over/at something (in the sexual sense, the sense of deliciousness, or the idea of anxiety)
唇の薄い
[くちびるのうすい, kuchibiru no usui] talkative, glib
唇をかえす
[くちびるをかえす, kuchibiru o kaesu] speak ill of; abuse someone
口広い
[くちひろい, kuchi hiroi] big-mouthed, boastful
口不調法
[くちぶちょうほう, kuchi buchouhou] unskillful speaker
口下手
[くちべた, kuchibeta] poor speaker; tongue-tied person
口やかましい
[くちやかましい, kuchi yakamashi] nagging, critical
口悪者
[くちわるもの, kuchi warumono] foul-mouthed person; abusive person
口を利く
[くちをきく, kuchi o kiku] speak; mediate between
口を極める
[くちをきわめる, kuchi o kiwameru] be very persuasive
口を捜す
[くちをさがす, kuchi o sagasu] look for a position
口を拭く
[くちをふく, kuchi o fuku] pretend; fake
口を汚す
[くちをよごす, kuchi o yogosu] eat
首にする
[くびにする, kubi ni suru] fire
首になる
[くびになる, kubi ni naru] be fired
首をかしげる
[くびをかしげる, kubi o kashigeru] put one’s head to the side
首を切る
[くびをきる, kubi o kiru] dismiss; fire; discharge; behead
首をすくめる
[くびをすくめる, kubi o sukumeru] duck one’s head; shrug one’s shoulders
首を長くして待つ
[くびをながくしてまつ, kubi o nagaku shite matsu] look forward to something impatiently; be eagerly awaiting
首をひねる
[くびをひねる, kubi o hineru] think hard; wrack one’s brain
隈なく
[くまなく, kuma naku] in every nook and cranny; all over
比べ物になる（にならない）
[くらべものになる（にならない）, kurabemono ni naru] compare to; be comparable to
君子豹変す
[くんしひょうへんす, kunshi hyouhensu] a wise man changes his mind