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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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大風呂敷を広げる
[おおぶろしきをひろげる, ooburoshiki o hirogeru] be bombastic
お陰様で
[おかげさまで, okage-sama de] thanks to you
お世話になる
[おせわになる, osewa ni naru] be in someone’s debt; be grateful
お茶を濁す
[おちゃをにごす, ocha o nigosu] speak amiguously; prevaricate
男よけにする
[おとこよけにする, otoko-yoke ni suru] keep men at arm’s length
驚いたことに
[おどろいたことに, odoroita koto ni] surprisingly
お腹を空にする
[おなかをからにする, onaka o kara ni suru] go to the bathroom; take a dump
(lit.: empty the stomach)
鬼に金棒
[おににかなぼう, oni ni kanabou] as strong as can be
鬼の腕
[おにのうで, oni no ude] great fondness
鬼の霍乱
[おにのかくらん, oni no kakuran] the illness of a very healthy person
お髭の塵を払う
[おひげのちりをはらう, ohige no chiri o harau] curry favor with someone
おまっとさん
[おまっとさん, omatto-san] I’m sorry to have kept you waiting
親の因果は子に報う
[おやのいんがはこにむくう, oya no inga wa ko ni mukuu] the sins of the father are visited upon the son
親の脛をかじる
[おやのすねをかじる, oya no sune o kajiru] live off of one’s parents
親の七光
[おやのななひかり, oya no nana-hikari] parental prestige endures; riding on the coattails of one's parents
泳ぎ腰
[およぎごし, oyogigoshi] on the fence; waffling; uncertain
折にふれる
[おりにふれる, ori ni fureru] when one has the chance; when the opportunity presents itself
女になる
[おんなになる, onna ni naru] lose one’s virginity
(lit.: become a woman; n.b.: applies to girls only)
女の尻に敷かれている
[おんなのしりにしかれている, onna no shiri ni shikarete iru] be tied to a woman’s apron strings
恩をあだで返す
[おんをあだでかえす, on o ada de kaesu] repay kindness with betrayal