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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.



手いらず

手入れ
[ていれ, teire] arrest (lit.: obtaining, getting in hand)

手が開いている
[てがあいている, te ga aite iru] be free; be uninvolved in anything

手が空けば口が空く
[てがあけばくちがあく, te ga akeba kuchi ga aku] if a person does not work, he will not eat; work not, eat not

手が足らない
[てがたらない, te ga taranai] be shorthanded

手が長い
[てがながい, te ga nagai] be a compulsive thief

手がよい
[てがよい, te ga yoi] write neatly, cleanly

手厳しい
[てきびしい, te kibishii] severe; harsh; hard

てこずる
[てこずる, tekozuru] have trouble with; have trouble controlling; have a hard time with

手数をかける
[てすうをかける, tesuu o kakeru] make trouble for

手出しする
[てだしする, tedashi suru] touch s.b.; get s.b.; grab s.b.

鉄面皮
[てつめんぴ, tetsumenpi] thick-skinned (lit.: iron face skin)

手に合わぬ
[てにあわぬ, te ni awanu] get out of hand

手に取る
[てにとる, te ni toru] pick up

手にはいたものだ
[てにはいたものだ, te ni haitta mono da] be at home; be adept

手の切れるような
[てのきれるような, te no kireru you na] crisp, sharp enough to cut

手の組んだ
[てのくんだ, te no kunda] complicated, intricate

手前味噌をあげる
[てまえみそをあげる, temae miso o ageru] praise oneself, blow one’s own horn

手も足も出ない
[てもあしもでない, te mo ashi mo denai] be at one’s wit’s end

手も足も踏む所知らず
[てもあしもふむところしらず, te mo ashi mo fumu tokoro shirazu] be in ecstasy; be in heaven

手を打つ
[てをうつ, te o utsu] strike a bargain

手を組む
[てをくむ, te o kumu] join forces

手を濡らさずに取る
[てをぬらさずにとる, te o nurasazu ni toru] get something without any particular effort

手を引く
[てをひく, te o hiku] wash one’s hands of; pull out of

手を分ける
[てをわける, te o wakeru] form groups; divide into groups

天に昇る心地
[てんにのぼるここち, ten ni noboru kokochi] be transported with joy

天罰
てんばつ, tenbatsu] poetic justice, justice of heaven


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